Tomer Levi – Interesting Facts About Glass
Glass is a material that is used in many different areas of human life. It is durable, clear and can transmit light Tomer Levi explains. Although, glass is not as environmentally friendly as other materials, it is still a very popular and valuable resource for humans to use.
Glass is made from sand and minerals, such as silica and soda. When these elements are melted at high temperatures, they combine to form glass. The resulting liquid mixture cools rapidly, forming a smooth, clear sheet.
There are two kinds of glass: natural and synthetic. Natural glass is formed when volcanic eruptions fuse sand and rock into obsidian. During the Stone Age, people began to use obsidian to make tools, jewelry and even weapons. This type of glass can be shaped into knives, arrowheads, and money. Besides being useful for tools, it is also used as cutting tools.
Synthetic glass was first produced in Syria and Egypt around 2,000 years ago. Initially, it was used for ornaments and simple vessels. By the third millennium BC, glass was being manufactured in large quantities in the Roman Empire and Venice.
In the Middle Ages, glass was extremely expensive, so only the wealthy could afford to have windows with glazed glass. Consequently, the fear of glass was much more prevalent in the Middle Ages.
Today, the most common type of glass is soda-lime glass, which is made from sand and limestone. These sands are melted at very high temperatures. If they are mixed with other minerals, such as dolomite, they can produce different colored glasses.
Some of the earliest societies, including the Mesopotamian potters, discovered that glass was a suitable material for making vases and other types of tools. They may have accidentally discovered glass during the process of firing clay.
One of the most famous art objects made of glass is the Portland Vase. It was found in Rome between AD 5 and AD 25 and is now housed in the British Museum. Another example of glass art is the float glass, which is a type of glass that is used in architecture and construction.
Another glass art that has been found is the Rosetta bead. It was crafted by Marietta Barovier, and it was used as a trade currency. Originally, it was made using a cane and star-shaped mold.
During the XXth century, the invention of bulletproof glass was developed. At that time, the average airplane flew at 575 miles per hour.
The word "glass" is thought to have evolved from the late Latin word glesum, which means 'translucent, glossy object'. The earliest known glass artifacts date back to 1350BC.
It is also believed that Phoenician sailors might have accidentally stumbled upon glass, as it was being used by people in the Mediterranean area. During the Bronze Age, glass was made in massive amounts, and the technology was transferred to the Romans. Later, the glass industry flourished in the cities of Trier and Alexandria in the Roman Empire, and in Venice and Egypt later on.