Whats the difference between crystal and glass... as in crystal versus glass champagne flutes... I know glass is a viscous liquid but what is crystal?

Properties of glass

Glass is not really a liquid in any meaningful way. It's better to describe it as an amorphous solid or simply as a glass, since it doesn't really fit very well into the solid/liquid dichotomy. And "crystal" (in the sense meant here) is just a different kind of glass.

Crystal contains lead or other materials which modify the characteristics of the material. The same is true for other types of glass where the refractive index is changed by inclusion of other materials to make camera lenses etc.

Crystal glass just has high lead content. This give crystal glass a high index of refraction which makes it sparkle when cut at sharp angles and gives the glass a distinctive long lasting ringing tone when it is struck gently with a hard object like a fingernail. The lead may leach out into acidic beverages. The glass is also more fragile and subject to temperature shock: Crystal glass will often break when cold water is poured into a hot glass or vice versa.

Glass is a liquid in the sense that it does indeed flow, but it flows over an extensive period of time. The difference between a crystal and glass, is that a crystal has a homogenous solid formed by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules and having fixed distances between constituent parts. Glass on the other hand, has molecules that are disordered but are rigidly bound.

First answer by ID3643451597. Last edit by Phyzome. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 68 [recommend question].