Glass is a common factor in all of our lives. It’s so common we don’t often think about it. At least not until a window breaks and we have to clean up the glass. But we also don’t think about some strange facts about glass. We’re going to take a look at some of those facts.

Can Lightning Make Glass? Short answer? Yes. One of strange facts about glass is that the tremendous power in lightning can melt sand. It has to hit rock or sand and produces a type of glass called fulgurite. When lightning hits, its power quickly melts the rock or sand and just as quickly the melted sand cools forming the glass. Most of the time, these glass pieces are small and tubular, not at all like the glass you’re used to seeing.

How Fast? An interesting and one of the strange facts about glass concerns how fast the cracks of breaking glass moves. The fact is those cracks move at 3000 miles per hour! Compare this to the speed of the average airplane which is about 575 miles per hour.

Not A Solid. Glass is a solid surface, right? Well, not exactly. Another of the strange facts about glass is that it is not classified as a solid … and not as a liquid or gas, either. So what’s left? When it cools, glass becomes its own classification: An amorphous solid. This means the molecules in the glass continue moving around, even though it presents a solid surface.

Valuable Glass. One of the most intriguing of the strange facts about glass has to do with one of the most valuable glass pieces of art in the world. The Portland Vase is a cameo piece from Rome dated somewhere between A.D. 1 and A.D. 25.

Glass From Volcanoes? Another of the strange facts about glass is that it can come from volcanoes. This type of glass is called obsidian and develops when hot lava cools.

Long Lasting. The length of time it takes for glass to decompose makes up another of the strange facts about glass. How long does it take? Up to one million years!

When you have any glass need, call FEDERAL GLASS AND MIRROR. Mike and John Purpura have a long family history of excellence in many types of glass replacement and installation.