2
SAFETY GLASS
FACT
when you fall in love you lose an
average of two close
Sara Mansour
The uses for safety glass are extensive… More people became aware of this great invention after its
implementation in cars, for additional safety. Many are unaware of how safety glass is made. From
those people who do have the knowledge of its structure, very few know that this invention came
about from a clumsy mistake / accident. Safety glass is the glass that does not shatter when faced
with sudden shock. It is commonly used in goggles; in public buildings it is used on doors and windows and the most common use . . . windshields for cars. The “accident” that brought forward this
great invention occurred under the hands of a French chemist, Edouard Benedictus, in 1903.
Normally, in every lab after any equipment is used it is thoroughly cleaned before it is placed
back to its correct spot, for later use. In this case Benedicts’ assistant left a beaker (that seemed
clean) containing evaporated cellulose nitrate and placed it back on a shelf. This is how the story all
3