Does temperature change how glass breaks when struck? You might expect hot or cold glass to crack differently.
You bring 25 glass sheets to five temperatures ranging from 0 to 100 degrees Celsius. Then you drop a metal ball through a PVC pipe onto each sheet. You check whether the glass stays whole or shatters into many pieces.
The results show whether temperature makes any difference to how the glass breaks apart.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that temperature will not have any effect on how glass shatters.
Glass sheets brought to five temperatures from 0 to 100 degrees Celsius get bigger or smaller as the heat changes. This project tests whether those size changes affect what happens when a metal ball drops through a PVC pipe onto each sheet: does the glass stay whole, or shatter into many pieces?
Temperature shifts how materials behave, but does it change how glass breaks when struck? To find out, 25 glass sheets are brought to five temperatures ranging from 0 to 100 degrees Celsius, then a metal ball is dropped through a PVC pipe onto each one. The key question after each strike: does the sheet stay whole, or does it shatter into many pieces? By comparing break patterns across all five temperature conditions, the experiment reveals whether thermal state makes any difference to how glass stands up to impact.
Method & Materials
You will set up the experiment by arranging the materials as shown in the diagram. Then, you will test the glass sheets at different temperatures by dropping the metal ball on them and recording the results.
You will need 25 glass sheets, a metal ball, a PVC pipe, a freezer, a hotplate, and an infrared thermometer.
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The results showed that the glass sheets shattered to pieces at all temperature conditions tested. This proves that the hypothesis is true - temperature does not have any effect on how glass shatters.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how temperature does not have any effect on how glass shatters, even though it is a common misconception.
Also Consider
Consider repeating the experiment with glass sheets of different thicknesses, or applying a different temperature at both ends of the glass and observing if it breaks.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
