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Force to break half inch tempered glass?


Likwid

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My desk is a tempered glass top ~.25-.5 inches thick... and I'd like to make sure I don't break it.

Before you ask, no I'm not trying to break it. But I keep doing stupid things like bumping stuff against it... these things should be pretty sturdy but I've heard horror stories of glass desks.

Anyway, just looking for some assurance "it's not going to break relax"

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i would just get rid of it to be honest. I've heard some pretty horrible stories. Don't ever crawl under that thing whatever you do. Not even to hook up your computer or anything.. figure some else out. I would put foam bumpers on the edges of it, that might keep it from turning into a guillotine, but not even that would protect you from all of the dangers. Its up to you, really.

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i would just get rid of it to be honest. I've heard some pretty horrible stories. Don't ever crawl under that thing whatever you do. Not even to hook up your computer or anything.. figure some else out. I would put foam bumpers on the edges of it, that might keep it from turning into a guillotine, but not even that would protect you from all of the dangers. Its up to you, really.

haha, thanks... lol

If your just gonna toss it I'll take it off your hands :)

I won't be getting rid of it, I got it from Sharper Image earlier this year, I love it

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"To increase its strength and heat resistance annealed glass can be subjected to a thermal treatment or chemical process. Tempered glass is obtained using this process, and its final form is four to five times as strong as annealed glass of the same type and thickness. When broken, it shatters into many small fragments, which prevent major injuries."

It acts just like car windows in a wreck. They make a major mess, but there's no large glass shards to destroy your jugular.

As for force to break it, I can't seem to find anything and it's completely dependent on size. As long as there are no cracks or gouges in it, it should stay remarkably strong. I wouldn't worry about it.

Edited by RSVDon
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"To increase its strength and heat resistance annealed glass can be subjected to a thermal treatment or chemical process. Tempered glass is obtained using this process, and its final form is four to five times as strong as annealed glass of the same type and thickness. When broken, it shatters into many small fragments, which prevent major injuries."

It acts just like car windows in a wreck. They make a major mess, but there's no large glass shards to destroy your jugular.

As for force to break it, I can't seem to find anything and it's completely dependent on size. As long as there are no cracks or gouges in it, it should stay remarkably strong. I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm gonna have to agree... I think it'll be fine. If you're really nervous put some clear adhesive layer over the top and bottom...

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Typical Breaking Stress (large light 60 sec. load) = 24,000 psi

Typical Impact Velocity Causing Fracture (1/4" light 5 gm missile, impact normal to surface = 60 ft/sec

Kinetic energy = 1/2 x mass x velocity x velocity (K.E.=1/2 x m x v 2).

Kinetic energy = 0.8361 joules

sooo, you could gently park an Abrams tank on it, briefly,

but don't swing at it with a ball peen hammer...

edit: to be specific, .8361 joules is a bit over one foot pound. so very little force is required by a dense/hard (like metal, rock or even sand) object to actually cause a chip or crack. The edges of tempered glass are the areas most likely to damage. Once damaged, the entire piece of tempered glass becomes prone to more damage. so solar film top and maybe bottom, and some sort of edge protection, and it's ... well, it's completely covered by something...

This is also assuming I did my math correctly... it's late and I can be stoopid late at night.

Edited by ReconRat
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