Scientists solve 400-year-old mystery of Prince Rupert's drops
May 9, 2017 by Lisa Zyga feature
(Phys.org)—Researchers have finally answered a question that has stumped scientists since the early 1600s: Why are the heads of tadpole-shaped pieces of glass called "Prince Rupert's drops" so strong?
In the 17th century, Prince Rupert from Germany brought some of these glass drops to England's King Charles II, who was intrigued by their unusual properties. While the head of the drop is so strong that it can withstand the impact of a hammer, the tail is so fragile that bending it with your fingers will not only break the tail, but cause the entire droplet to instantly disintegrate into a fine powder.
Read more at:
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-scientists-year-old-mystery-prince-rupert.html#jCp