Why is Glass a good insulator?

Why is Glass a good insulator?

Glass is considered as one of the most flexible materials on Earth. It is widely used as a container because it does not react with other substances that are put into it. Aside from being a container, glass can be used in a variety of ways, molded into different shapes and lengths, and can be added with different colors.

Glass is a non-crystalline solid material, or amorphous, and is thought to have been utilized by humans in their everyday living since 3000 BC. Its appearance is usually translucent but is sometimes tempered or tinted. Glass in its solid state is firm, breakable, and can hold out the effects of sun, wind, or rain. However under extreme heat, glass is turned into a super-cooled liquid that is stiff and stagnant with its molecular composition remaining constant.

Among its many uses, glass is considered a good insulator of electricity. Glass is used as an insulator because it has atoms that have electrons that are closely connected with each other. And because of this property, it does not allow electrons to freely roam around and be shared by nearby atoms thus preventing the flow of electrical current in other materials. Insulators, such as glass are used to shield people from the hazardous effects of electricity that flows freely through conductors because of its resistance to electron movement. Without insulators, high voltage of electricity may flow through our body that can cause serious injuries like burns and electrical shock to the heart.

Before, glass is the most commonly used insulators by telephone and telegraph companies in their utility poles. The earliest glass insulators were LRI (Lightning Rod Insulators) that are used to insulate cables and lightning rods from structures. Others that were created are battery rest insulators, threadless insulators, and threaded insulators. Presently, durable ceramic materials replaced the use of glass as insulators.