Welcome to the Sunday ChemistryViews Quiz!
We explore a chemistry topic in this fun and short quiz which will be out in irregular intervals on a Sunday morning. Test your knowledge and learn something new in just a few minutes.
Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
Glass is a natural material found in the Earth’s crust—true or false? 🤔
See answer
✅ True!
Glass is a non-crystalline material that naturally occurs in the Earth’s crust.
- Volcanic Activity – Obsidian 🏔️
o Rapid cooling of silica-rich lava prevents crystal growth, forming an amorphous solid.
o Obsidian is usually black, sometimes green or brow.
o Mainly composed of SiO₂
👉 Fun Fact: Due to its conchoidal fracture, obsidian can be crafted into blades sharper than steel. Unlike metal knives, which appear jagged under magnification, obsidian blades remain smooth even under an electron microscope. - Lightning Strikes – Fulgurite ⚡
o When lightning (~30,000 K) strikes sand, it melts silica, which cools into hollow, glassy tubes.
o Primarily SiO₂ - Meteorite Impacts – Tektites ☄️
o The kinetic energy of a meteorite impact melts and ejects surface material, which cools mid-air into glassy tektites.
o Variable composition, often >70% SiO₂, with Al₂O₃, FeO, and MgO.
