We all know that glass is very fragile, so we always take extra care when handling it to avoid breaking it. But did you know that if you shape glass into a certain shape, it becomes so strong that neither an axe nor even a bullet can break it? Instead, the bullet can shatter on impact. The glass is called Prince Rupert’s Drop, and a video of it has gone viral on social media.
Prince Rupert’s Tears are also known as Dutch Tears or Batavian Tears. They are essentially a tempered glass bead made by placing molten glass in cold water and allowing it to solidify into a clear, tadpole-shaped drop with a long, thin tail. Although the tail is easy to break, the round drop seems difficult to break. The video has been widely shared online and has attracted widespread attention.
X (formerly known as Twitter) shared a video of the “Prince Rupert Drop.” The incredible video shows a drop of water on glass leaving a dent when it is pressed with a hydraulic press. The video also shows a bullet shattering into pieces after hitting the water droplets. The narration at the beginning of the video says, “The hardest object in the world is undoubtedly glass. When molten glass is placed in ice water, we don’t have to wait long before it turns into a nearly indestructible drop, often referred to as a “Prince Rupert Drop.” The video then shows it being tested for strength using a real bullet, which shatters on the first impact.
When this drop of liquid is subjected to the pressure of a 40-ton (40,000 kg) hydraulic press, it dents the car but does not disintegrate. However, touch the tail of the liquid and it disintegrates.
The melting point of glass is between 1400 and 1600 degrees Celsius. When a master glassblower drops molten glass into a jar of cold water, the surface of the molten glass quickly cools, forming a hardened crust inside the liquid. As the glass continues to cool, it pulls the outer layers inward, causing them to shrink. This causes the core to be compressed violently, creating enormous tension inside the glass bead. The enormous force helps to hold the layers together, creating a shock absorber in the glass.
Post time: May-09-2025