After years and years panes of glass at an old farmhouse (or city house for that matter) are no longer the same thickness from top to bottom.Those old windows are thicker on the bottom than at the top because glass flows down very, very slowly.
RIGHT? No, sorry.
Read the article, The Nature of Glass is anything but Clear by Kenneth Chang to understand the unique properties of glass.
In a related blog Mr. Chang admits to a mistake!
What!?? A science geek (an ALPHA GEEK no less) made a mistake?!
THEN he admits to it and encourages further discussion of his mistake. He even gives Phil Platt , the blogger who called him on it, credit. So scientists, unlike politicians, make mistakes and learn from them. Wow, that's odd. But lets get back to work.
Read Mr. Chang's article.
Be able to tell why glass is neither a solid or a liquid and what discoveries that might lead to.
Now click on the graphic in the article. There is a very clear picture of the difference between the structure of a crystalline solid and glass. Be able to describe that difference in words.
OK here are some questions that will prove to me that you understood the article.
1. What mistake did Mr. Chang make?
2. Explain why glass is neither a solid nor a liquid.
3. What is the difference between the structure of a crystalline solid and glass? (Yes, you may use a drawing to clarify your answer.)
4. What discoveries might deeper understanding of glass lead to.
5. Describe the difference between the structure of a crystalline solid and glass.
Page 2 refers to entropy and viscosity.
6. What is entropy?
7. What is viscosity?
extra
Who is Phil Platt?
be good,
Mr. Hazen
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