Prince Rupert’s Drops are beads of toughened glass created by dipping molten glass into cold water, which causes it to solidify into a tadpole-shaped droplet. As the glass cools from the outside in, it produces significant compressive stresses on the surface and tensile stresses at the core of the drop. The spherical shape of the bulbous head gives the glass enormous strength, such that it can be struck with a hammer without breaking. However, the tail is extremely fragile and causes the entire droplet to explosively shatter when cracked.
The +SmarterEveryDay YouTube channel has a series of videos examining the behavior of Prince Rupert’s Drops using high-speed cameras. Here a .38-caliber bullet can be seen disintegrating upon impact with the head of the droplet without damaging the glass.
Source: https://youtu.be/F3FkAUbetWU (Smarter Every Day)
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