Water Glasses
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
If boiling water is poured into a thick drinking glass as well as a very thin wine glass, of the two, which is more likely to crack? Explain.
Answer
Surprisingly enough, the thick glass is more likely to crack since glass is a poor conductor of heat. In a thin glass, the heat passes more quickly from the glass into the surrounding air, causing the glass to expand equally. When hot water is poured into a thick glass, the inner surface expands, but the outer surface does not. It is this extreme stress on the glass that causes it to crack.
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Comments
missie
Mar 29, 2002
| By giving the person the choices "a thick glass and a thin glass" it is easily guessed that the thick glass is going to crack because SEEMS as if the thin glass is going to. You should have said it was the thick glass and asked "Why?" |
rayneeday
Mar 29, 2002
| I dissagree with Missie, I think the puzzle is worded well enough and while I may have guessed the think glass as she said, the interesting part was the science involving the glass, or the why part. Which was the real question here. I learned something new today. And since I pretty much know everything, that is unusal!!! (Yeah, right!) |
dark-prince
May 06, 2002
| hey missie the question does say explain! |
O_wise_one
May 21, 2002
| I agree missie, that most people would say the thicker glass, just cuz it's unexpected. But it was a good riddle, and it DID say explain. |
NotSoLilGeorge
Jul 03, 2002
| Missie? where are you? Hiding? Gosh your chicken.
|
boldgold
Jul 17, 2002
| I guessed thick also but I missed the explain part. |
NuttyPrince
Aug 09, 2002
| gud teaser, and why wud missie be hiding...duz she usually hang round all day jus looking at one teaser for the comments to get upgraded? |
dudebomb93  
Oct 29, 2007
| I KNEW THAT, I GET ALOT OF THESE SCIENCE ONES RIGHT  |
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