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Solid

All articles tagged with #solid

science-and-technology2 years ago

The Science Behind Glass: Exploring its Composition and Properties

Glass is a material that defies simple categorization as a liquid, solid, or gas. While it has some liquid-like properties, it doesn't flow much at all. Scientists are still trying to understand the fundamental nature of glass and why it is solid. Glass is essentially a liquid that cools too quickly for crystals to form, resulting in a chaotic, amorphous structure. The lack of a complete theory of glass makes it difficult to predict its properties and engineer new types of glass. Scientists are also intrigued by the possibility of an "ideal" glass, which would represent a new phase of matter. Understanding glass better could lead to advancements in various fields, from engineering bendable smartphone screens to developing materials for nuclear waste storage.

science2 years ago

The State of Glass: Liquid or Solid?

The debate over whether glass is a liquid or a solid continues, but scientists explain that glass is a distinct state of matter that exhibits properties of both. Glass is a noncrystalline, nonequilibrium material that appears solid on a short timescale but continuously relaxes towards a liquid state. It is made by melting various components to form a viscous liquid, which is then cooled quickly, trapping the atoms in a disordered arrangement. While glass may exhibit slow changes over billions of years, it behaves more like a solid than a liquid on practical timescales. The belief that medieval stained-glass windows are thicker at the bottom due to glass flowing over time is debunked, with the explanation being that glass manufacturing techniques at the time resulted in uneven thickness.