National Science Week 2022: Glass

SCIENCE WEEK EXPERIMENTS
We're doing a series of science experiments all to do with glass. But there's a twist: these experiments are also pranks. And we've got our producer Matt to rate the pranks out of 10.

BREAKAWAY GLASS
First up, breakaway glass! It looks like real glass, but it's not. Made from sugar, glucose syrup, and something to stop it from crystalising, like tartaric acid, heated up to 150 degrees. Left to cool overnight, it hardens, and looks like glass. It's used in some movies and shows because it even breaks like the real thing. Don't try that at home.

PEN LID IN BOTTLE
If you can make this pen hit the bottom of the bottle, using only your breath and we'll crown you a super scientist right now! Whoops, I forgot to mention that it's almost impossible. That's because air is all around us, including in this glass bottle! So when you blow into the bottom, the air inside the bottom fights back pushing the lid up as you try to blow it down. Cool party trick though.

DISAPPEARING GLASS
Alright, if the bottle trick wasn't magic, maybe this is if I put this little glass into this big glass full of oil, It disappears! This is because of the refraction of light. Basically, when two things have different refractive indices, like air and glass, the speed of light changes as it travels through them, causing it to bend. That bending reflects into our eye, meaning we see it. But here, the oil and glass have the same refractive index, which means the speed of light doesn't change, so there's no light bending, and no reflecting, which equals: invisible!

GLASS RECYCLING
Now, one of my favourite things about glass is that it can be reused again and again. So we asked Cale to visit a glass recycling plant to help explain how it all happens.

GLASS SONG
Glass. You're everywhere I see. (glass)
Reflecting everything and me. (glass)
In windows and on screens. (glass)
In my glasses so I can see. (glass)
Oh yeah. (glass)
This glass is glass.
So is this vase.
It's glass. It's all. (glass)
Made from really hot sand. (glass)
Sharp and can cut your hand. (glass)
It's endlessly recyclable, which is great because we all need glass.
It's a song about glass. (glass)
It's the material you can't go past.
Glass, glass, glass, glass, glass.
That is all from us.

__________________________________________
Make sure to like & subscribe to our videos if you want to stay in the know!
👉 Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/behindthenews...

We have 1000s of stories on all sorts of topics - if you're looking for help to understand something, you'll probably find it on BTN http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

Follow us on Social Media:
TikTok   / behindthenewstv  
Facebook:   / abcbtn  
Instagram:   / behindthenews  

For the past 50 years, Behind the News has been helping to break down current issues and events for young people all around the world. The program is a high-energy, fun way for people to learn about the stories we see in the news while providing background information that isn’t usually given by other news bulletins.