Made it out to do the shopping, we’re now oversupplied with milk but still undersupplied with washing sponges. Probably should have written a list.
Got some bargains from their sale clothing – jeans and a top for me, both size 12 ;), top and skirt for Big, both age 7 and the skirt is having to go back as too tight. 🙁 Small was very pleased with his top and trousers though – 3/4 length trousers are just about perfect!
Didn’t have visitors this afternoon, though not for the want of trying. The doorbell is broken it would appear, and they couldn’t make themselves heard by knocking. Tim says he didn’t break it, I’m not convinced. Votes in the usual place.
Can’t remember how the topic came up, but at the dinner table (home made pizza, yum) we ended up in a discussion of solids, liquids and gases. Water is useful in that way – she already knew about ice, water and steam 🙂 Think Tim blew it when he tried to insist that glass is a liquid though.
Kids have spent huge amounts of time over the last couple of days playing with duplo train track. Big is getting quite inventive with her layouts, although they are still struggling with the sharing issue. Small built himself a lorry, was ever so proud of it, and abolutely distraught when it got broken. Been the pattern for the days really.
Comments
9 responses to “bargains at sainbury's, broken doorbells, science at the table.”
We’ve had the liquids and gases conversation recently during which it dawned on me in startlingly depressing fashion how little I really understand! For example, WHY do atoms speed up when a gas is heated? Err, another google run.
Had a much better experience with a mock maths GSCE which was very heartening.
grrr at tight clothes! It’s not like Big is remotely big really is it??? What hope for those of us with girlies that have little round bellies????
Refutations for Troublesome Tim: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/Glass/glass.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass#Glass_as_a_liquid
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1728945
I’m always amazed at little I really know, google is my best friend!!! I like sainsbury clothes, they seem to last quite well.
Refutations?
There is no clear answer to the question “Is glass solid or liquid?”. In terms of molecular dynamics and thermodynamics it is possible to justify various different views that it is a highly viscous liquid, an amorphous solid, or simply that glass is another state of matter which is neither liquid nor solid.
Not really a refutation, that, is it?
You were described as arguing that “glass is a liquid” amd the the argument you selectively quote is a refution.
Arguing that glass is either “an amorphous solid” or “another non-liquid/non-solid” is not arguing that it’s a liquid.
The full explanation underlying there being no clear answer to the question “Is glass a solid or a liquid?” (because “glass or solid” is a false dichotomy) is a refutation of glass being a liquid.
That partial quote in full:
‘There is no clear answer to the question “Is glass solid or liquid?”. In terms of molecular dynamics and thermodynamics it is possible to justify various different views that it is a highly viscous liquid, an amorphous solid, or simply that glass is another state of matter which is neither liquid nor solid. The difference is semantic. In terms of its material properties we can do little better. There is no clear definition of the distinction between solids and highly viscous liquids. All such phases or states of matter are idealisations of real material properties. Nevertheless, from a more common sense point of view, glass should be considered a solid since it is rigid according to every day experience. The use of the term “supercooled liquid” to describe glass still persists, but is considered by many to be an unfortunate misnomer that should be avoided. In any case, claims that glass panes in old windows have deformed due to glass flow have never been substantiated. Examples of Roman glassware and calculations based on measurements of glass visco-properties indicate that these claims cannot be true. The observed features are more easily explained as a result of the imperfect methods used to make glass window panes before the float glass process was invented.’
[Empasis (if it gets through) mine]
I did read on with one of the references that source mentions
Glass: Liquid or Solid — Science vs. an Urban Legend
“Glasses are amorphous solids. There is a fundamental structural divide between amorphous solids (including glasses) and crystalline solids. Structurally, glasses are similar to liquids, but that doesn’t mean they are liquid.”
So they’re not liquid then? 😛
liquidish. 😐