# Is glass a liquid, or a solid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 24, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996 "2008-06-24T00:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/41 "2017-10-27T13:26:31Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > One of my college profs told us glass was a liquid. Okay, he was a Geography professor. But he had us convinced that the glass in windows grew thicker toward the bottom and thinner at top due to “running.” And having read up on the subject, you know now that that’s wrong; the glass was thicker at the bottom because that’s the way the already thicker on one side glass piece was oriented. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/43 "2017-10-29T17:35:35Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > What is tricky is that glass appears to be a single substance, but doesn’t crystallize under normal conditions. Most glass contains other compounds besides just silicon dioxide, so I consider it a mixture. So I guess the question is if pure silicate glass exhibits the same amorphous, deformable properties. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/44 "2017-10-29T18:27:42Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Is glass a solution or colloid? A solution to what? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/45 "2017-10-29T19:33:40Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > A solution to what? A glass of the amber liquid is often a good solution. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/46 "2017-10-29T23:10:16Z")
No, the amber liquid is tree sap. It’s not called amber until after it’s hardened. Into an amorphous solid, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/47 "2017-10-30T06:42:58Z")
I’m not sure what _you’ve_ been drinking, but I’m sticking with my tipple. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/48 "2017-11-06T23:22:20Z")
**Lumpy** , I’m not site how that is a response to me, but one of those threads you cite says _lead_ will deform over time more than glass will. > [@Powers](#): > > Most glass contains other compounds besides just silicon dioxide, so I consider it a mixture. ] By that definition, steel is mixture, so I guess my statement is flawed. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/49 "2017-11-07T00:33:28Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Is there a site where I can watch a live video feed of paint drying instead? > **[The Tenth Watch for the ninth Pitch Drop.](http://www.thetenthwatch.com/)** > > In 86 years, no one has seen a drop fall from the longest running lab experiment. But now’s your chance to add your name to the history books. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/50 "2017-11-07T04:12:27Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > **Lumpy** , I’m not site how that is a response to me, but one of those threads you cite says _lead_ will deform over time more than glass will. Lead is definitely a crystalline (or multicrystalline) solid. It’s just very weak. Weak enough in fact that its own weight will deform it. But that doesn’t mean that lead doesn’t require a minimum force to deform. Maybe on the Moon pieces of lead will be fine, whereas gold would probably self-deform under Jupiter’s gravity. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996/51 "2017-11-07T05:25:10Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Whereas a “true” solid has some finite point at which (barring quantum tunneling) it will maintain its shape forever. That seems to be a technical distinction of no practical import: a “true” solid doesn’t have suger on it’s oatmeal. Since any /actual/ solid will have defects, the lines between a “glass” (consisting entirely of defects) and a metal (multi-crystaline, with defects), and a perfect single crystal with no surfaces (a theoretical construct approachable but unprovable) seem at least blurred. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/453996.md?page=2)