# Why would an electric scale explode? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965 "2025-02-06T18:43:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/21 "2025-02-06T22:28:31Z")
The glass is a lot cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/22 "2025-02-06T22:31:35Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Ignorance fought. Mods, please close this thread. Mods aren’t magically summoned by writing the word “mods”. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/23 "2025-02-06T22:41:35Z")
You need to write “Mods, Mods, Mods!" ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/24 "2025-02-06T23:08:35Z")
Not sure if this applies but a short in the wiring would do it as well. My wife had a rear window do that from a short in the defroster wires. Localized expansion and kerplow! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/25 "2025-02-06T23:56:44Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Dinsdale](#): > > > > Mods, please close this thread. > > Mods aren’t magically summoned by writing the word “mods”. That, and some threads have stayed active for a while after the O.P. writes the not-so-magical words. > [@beowulff](#): > > You need to write “Mods, Mods, Mods!" Sung to the tune of 🎵 “Girls, girls, girls!” 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/26 "2025-02-07T00:02:45Z")
Don’t use a glass surfaced scale with shoes or slippers on. Socks or bare feet only. Grit trapped in the soles can scratch the glass and trigger such an event. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/27 "2025-02-07T00:06:14Z")
Well I gotta say knowledge that it may explode at any time does give one pause about barefooted paws on there … Better to not check! ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/28 "2025-02-07T00:11:07Z")
True enough. Seems a glass surface is a cost and complexity saving measure. Base with all the electronics, then a clear slab over it. Makes for a nice package. But fragile. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/29 "2025-02-07T00:46:14Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Mods aren’t magically summoned by writing the word “mods”. Well, one was apparently magically summoned previously without my requesting anything. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/30 "2025-02-07T00:52:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > On Amazon, you can buy glass baking dishes that are still borosilicate glass, though they’re not Pyrex brand. And on eBay and such you can buy used Pyrex that was made with borosilicate glass. A huge amount of it was sold, and the used stuff is often very affordable. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Anyone know why that is? Environmental concerns, or cheaper manufacturing process, or … ? They claim regular tempered glass is sturdier. I’m sure the real reason is that it’s cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/31 "2025-02-07T00:54:34Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Dinsdale](#): > > > > Ignorance fought. Mods, please close this thread. > > Mods aren’t magically summoned by writing the word “mods”. We don’t usually close threads just because the question has been answered. But it’s easy to unsubscribe to alerts if you don’t want to follow the thread any longer. There’s a drop-down on the bottom left of the page (on my configuration) that looks like a little bell. Click it and select “normal” if you want it to behave like any thread you haven’t interacted with, or “muted” if you really don’t want to ever hear from it again. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/32 "2025-02-07T01:23:17Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Mods aren’t magically summoned by writing the word “mods”. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > > [@beowulff](#): > > > > You need to write “Mods, Mods, Mods!" > > Sung to the tune of 🎵 “Girls, girls, girls!” 🎶 OMG!! It worked! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/33 "2025-02-07T01:26:57Z")
Tempered glass is strange stuff, you can think of it as having the outside skin shrunk and holding the rest under pressure. You can hit it on the face of the class with a baseball bat and it will not break, but set it down on an edge and let a small peice of gravel damage the edge and “Poof” it all falls apart into little corn kernal size crumbles. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/34 "2025-02-07T01:28:43Z")
There’s worse: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6V2eCFsDkK0/hqdefault.jpg "Prince Rupert's Drop") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V2eCFsDkK0&t=1/) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/35 "2025-02-07T01:38:41Z")
A drop being shot at point-blank range by a FMJ .22 Magnum: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/F3FkAUbetWU/maxresdefault.jpg ".38 Special vs Prince Ruperts Drop at 170,000 FPS - Smarter Every Day 169") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3FkAUbetWU&t=108s/) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/36 "2025-02-07T01:47:53Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > My wife had a rear window do that from a short in the defroster wires. Localized expansion and kerplow! Yep. Exactly same thing happened in my friends car driving to school senior year high school. We’re driving up the road and suddenly the rear window just blows into a million pieces for no apparent reason. Gave us quite the jump scare. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/37 "2025-02-07T02:05:10Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You need to write “Mods, Mods, Mods!" > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Sung to the tune of 🎵 “Girls, girls, girls!” 🎶 > [@TriPolar](#): > > OMG!! It worked!  The 🎵 Mods, Mods, Mods! 🎶 should pin this thread! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/38 "2025-02-07T02:17:37Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > OMG!! It worked! Heh, avatar/post combo FTW. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965/39 "2025-02-07T12:31:54Z")
Best not to say Beetlejuice three times though. Who knows what will show up or what havoc they may wreak. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-an-electric-scale-explode/1013965.md?page=1)