Glass essays

Glass essays Glass is a material that is used in our homes, workplaces, and forms of transportation. It is most commonly seen in the form of windows, which protects us against the elements without obstructing our vision. In our vehicles, we use it to see places that we would normally have to turn around to see. In eyeglasses and contact lenses it allows us to see better. It conducts heat easily, but does not conduct electricity at all. It is also used for decoration such as vases, clocks, mirrors, and even stained glass. Glass is commonly referred to as a highly viscous liquid. It is not a solid because its molecules arent in a crystalline pattern. Instead, the particles are arranged as if it were a liquid, but frozen in place. It can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. It is non-porous, non-absorptive, and can be used with the common elements and many harsh chemicals and liquids. It is one of the best electrical insulation materials, and because it is made of silica or contains it, it is considered a ceramic. It is also considered a thermoplastic in some cases because it can melt when heated and reform when cooled over again. First appearing in nature, glass existed before man discovered it. A common natural glass is obsidian, the molten glass from volcanoes. Obsidian is composed of three ingredients; sand, soda, and lime. The same ingredients in different amounts also make up manufactured glass. About fifty other chemical elements are used in modern glassmaking to give it desired properties. Glass is an open chain of silicon atoms with atoms of various oxides occupying the spaces between. The loose structure is what permits its transparent property. Today, the average batch mix used to manufacture flat glass products is about seventy percent silica sand, thirteen percent lime, twelve percent soda, and small amounts of other additives. One quarter of the batch is cleaned and crushed glass from ...