What melts into glassy liquid for glassware?

Glass for cups, bowls and windows starts with a few simple things mixed together. The big ingredients are:

• Sand (called silica) — this is the main part.
• Soda ash — helps the sand melt easier.
• Limestone — makes the melted glass stronger.

When these powders are heated in a furnace until they get very, very hot (around 1,400°C or about 2,500°F), they melt and become a thick, shiny liquid called molten glass. It looks a bit like very thick, shiny syrup.

Step by step:

1. Mix sand, soda ash, and limestone together.
2. Heat the mix in a furnace until it melts into molten glass.
3. Shape the molten glass (blow it, pour it, or press it) into things like cups or vases.
4. Cool it slowly so it becomes strong and clear — then it’s ordinary glass!

Colors: Tiny amounts of metals can be added to make colored glass. For example, copper can make blue or green glass, and iron can make it green or brown.

Remember: molten glass is extremely hot, so only grown-ups who know how to do it should work with it. Would you like a simple drawing idea to show how glass is made?