Glass is a material that has been used for centuries in numerous common, consumer applications. In recent decades, it has become one of the key high-tech materials for applications in thermal insulation, optical communication and microelectronics. Notwithstanding its importance, the average student's understanding of glass science and technology remains very primitive, partly because of its ill-defined structure and complex behavior. Therefore, to illustrate the underlying principles of this

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... ss of materials, we have proposed a set of laboratory demonstrations involving sucrose, water and corn starch (the major ingredients of common candy). These low cost simple experiments provide a convenient paradigm for the numerous features of a prototypic glass. The students' feedback has been very positive as they find the unusual experiments exciting, and can relate to the results from previous experiences.