what is glass made of?

Question

kids need to know

Answer 1

Cant make this simple!!

Glass is a type of non-crystalline or amorphous solid. By traditional convention the term glass is reserved for an amorphous solid which has been formed by quenching a glass forming liquid (or melt) through its glass transition temperature sufficiently fast that a regular crystal lattice cannot form. However, amorphous solids may be formed by methods other than melt quenching, such as ion implantation or the sol-gel method, and since they exhibit the same disordered atomic structure the terms amorphous solid, glass and non-crystalline solid are often regarded as synonyms.

Glass in the common sense contains silica as the main component (glass former), but silica-free glasses also exist.[5] Glass is sometimes created naturally from volcanic lava and lightning strikes (Lechatelierite). If the lava is felsic this glass is called obsidian, and is usually black with impurities. Obsidian is a raw material for flintknappers, who have used it to make extremely sharp glass knives since the stone age.

The physical and in particular the optical properties of glass make it suitable for technological applications such as windows, containers (bottles, jars, bowls), optics, optoelectronics and laboratory equipment. The ease of formability, and its aesthetic features, such as transparency and pigmentation, render glass a common art medium.

General properties and uses

A vase being created at the Reijmyre glassworks, SwedenThe most obvious characteristic of ordinary glass is that it is transparent to visible light, hence its wide application in everyday use. This transparency is due to an absence of electronic transition states in the range of visible light. The homogeneity of the glass on length scales greater than the wavelength of visible light also contributes to its transparency as heterogeneities would cause light to be scattered, breaking up any coherent image transmission. Many household objects are made of glass. Drinking glasses, bowls and bottles are often made of glass, as are light bulbs, mirrors, cathode ray tubes, and windows. Volcanic glasses, such as obsidian, have long been used to make stone tools, and flint knapping techniques can easily be adapted to mass-produced glass.

In research laboratories, flasks, test tubes, lenses and other laboratory equipment are often made of borosilicate glass (such as Pyrex) for its strength and low coefficient of thermal expansion, giving greater resistance to thermal shock and greater accuracy in measurements. For the most demanding applications, quartz glass is used, although it is very difficult to work. Most such glass is mass-produced using various industrial processes, but most large laboratories need so much custom glassware that they keep a glassblower on staff.

Answer 2

Good grief, too much and then too little.
Glass is made from sand, which would melt over 3000F so soda ash or potash is added as flux to bring the melting temp down, but that makes a material that will corrode or dissolve in water so lime or limestone are added to make it durable.
That will make a glass, but in most glasses those three are 98-99% of the stuff and several additional chemicals are added to make the color whiter, get rid of bubbles while melting, etc. Lead crystal is an exception as it has lots of lead oxide (15-35%) for ring tone and glitter. Pyrex is another exception as it is just sand and boron compounds and melts at a higher temp.
Take a look if you want more
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/batch.htm

Answer 3

It's sand basically. A glaze for ceramics is made out of sand, when heated the sand melts forming a glass coating on the pot. If you saw sweet home alabama with reese witherspoon, you'll remember that when lightning struck beach it melted the sand making a sculpture. Her husband then sold drinking glasses with this melted sand that he harvested from the beach.

Answer 4

Sand At 1500 degrees the sand will melt. At 2500 degrees it will change to glass, but very hot glass that is considered a liquid still. If you let it sit then it will harden to glass

Answer 5

Glass in the form that most people recognize is primarily Silicon Dioxide (SiO2, readily found in sand). Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth - the most abundant being Oxygen. "Soda" (baking soda) and "Lime" (hard water deposits) are usually added to make it workable.

Glass occurs in nature in several forms. One very recognizable natural form is Obsidian, the black glass rocks. Obsidian is sometimes created by volcanoes or when lightning strikes the ground. It was used by early humans to make hunting tools and weapons.

Answer 6

sand that has been heated to a high temperature that is why you can sometimes see glass blowers at their trades, I got another one for you what is diamond made from?

Answer 7

I thought it came from sand

Answer 8

To sum it up its made of sand smushed really tightly together[compacted].....or so I was told

Answer 9

sand is one of the ingredients