glass

glass, hard substance, usually brittle and transparent, composed chiefly of silicates and an alkali fused at high temperature.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Contemporary Applications of Glass
• Beginnings of the Modern Era
• Glassmaking in Colonial America
• Early European Glassmaking
• Ancient Glassmaking
• Development of the Glass Industry
• The Process of Glassmaking
• Composition and Properties of Glass
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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