Uses of Glass and 10 Applications to Man

The glass is one of the early discoveries of man.

It was made out of molten sand, and since then, it has been indispensable.

There are no alternatives to it in some cases. Its applications to man include

1. Kitchenware
2. Eyeglasses and lenses
3. Electronic Screens tv
4. Microscopes for magnification
5. Lights and bulbs
6. Storage of specimens, harsh chemicals
7. Automobiles
8. Housing, furniture, and decoration
9. Laboratory handling
10. Communication optic cables.

The ability of glass to withstand high temperatures up to 1000 degrees Celsius, chemical inertness, and inexpensiveness makes it widely used in human life.

Uses and Applications of Glass

Kitchenware

• Most kitchens would have some form of glass-made utensils, vessels, glasses, jugs, etc.

• In the modern kitchen, the use of glass is further enhanced. It is used as a container for pickles, dry powders, milk, oils, ghee storage, etc.

• It might be a fact to say that you will not find a kitchen without a glass container.

Eyeglasses and lens

• Many people in the world suffer from eyesight-related problems.

• Some suffer from short sight, while others with a long site.

• Glasses and lenses are used to correct their vision as a part of medical treatment.

• These glasses have a different range of curves to adjust the sight.

• Though glass is still widely used, there are improvements in technology to make lenses with other materials.
• For welding and viewing a solar eclipse, darkened glass is used to avoid damage to eye from intense radiation of light.

Electronic Screens

• The screens of your mobile phone, computers, television are made of glass.

• This is based on their transparent nature besides protecting the inner part of these devices.

In Microscope for magnification

• Microscopes are used to observe minute objects or organisms by magnification.

• Due to the microscope, scientific knowledge and medical technology got advanced a lot.

• Microscopes have magnification lenses to enhance the size of the object for clear vision to our eyes.

• These magnification glasses are made of pure glass. They are not replaceable by any other sort of materials like plastic, metals, etc.

• Microscopes find enormous use in disease diagnoses like anemia, microbial infections, etc.

• Without these glass-made magnifying lenses, it won’t be possible to use microscopes.

Lights and bulbs

• These are the other objects used by a man daily. We use them to illuminate our homes, offices, roads, during travel, etc.

• These bulbs have a filament to generate light. But these filaments are covered by transparent glass.

• Besides protection, they allow the passage of light through them without obstruction.

• You cannot replace the glass with metal or plastic as they are not transparent and heat resistant.

• You will notice that the bulb in your room would be hot if you hold it when it is switched on.

• In case the bulb is covered by plastic instead of glass, it could melt due to intense heat.

• This does not occur with glass as the glass can withstand a temperature of 1000°C.

Further, glass is also used for the light source in spectroscopy techniques like UV visible, fluorescence spectroscopy, etc.

Storage of specimens and harsh chemicals

• Specimens are well stored in a glass container.

• Hence, you can notice biological samples stored in glass containers dipped in formalin.

• Glass containers can retain the specimens for a long time as they can be sealed and made airtight.

Further, they do not react with organic solvents used to store the specimens.

In automobiles

• All automobiles use glass in multiple ways.

• And it is difficult to find a car, bus, or airplane which does not have glass shields or glass windows.

• Glass is transparent and provides a clear vision to the drivers.

• Further, they are strong and withstand winds hitting the vehicle.

Even the lights, indicators, bulbs, fog lamps are all made of glass.

Housing, furniture and decoration

• The use of glass as material for windows, door, ceilings add beauty to the home.

• Even furniture like tables is made of glass to give a better appearance to the home.

Laboratory handling

• Have you noticed that all the acids, bases, and other chemicals are stored in glass containers in your chemistry lab?

• This is because glass is highly resistant to chemical interactions and their transparent property helps to watch the sample during the experiment.

• You can perform titrations, mixing, measuring the liquids with graduated glass containers.

• Hence, glass is used to make laboratory ware.

The only caution is to avoid dropping them accidentally lest they would break.

Optical fiber for communication

• These are cables made by fine drawing of glass.

• Though they are similar to electric cables, they differ in that they carry light.

• These wires are used for communication in place of metal cables.

• They have advantages like minimal chances of loss in the signal during transit.

• Further, the glass fibers are not affected by electromagnetic interference.

Besides, glass uses are also seen in the maintenance of fish aquariums. Also, glass made of lead and barium helps prevent radiation.

Frequently asked questions and answers