A burning glass or burning lens is a large convex lens that can concentrate the sun's rays onto a small area, heating up the area and thus resulting in ignition of the exposed surface. Burning mirrors achieve a similar effect by using reflecting surfaces to focus the light. They were used in 18th-century chemical studies for burning materials in closed glass vessels where the products of combustion could be trapped for analysis. The burning glass was a useful contrivance in the days before electrical ignition was easily achieved.
Read more about Burning Glass: History, Current Use
Famous quotes containing the words burning and/or glass:
“Babe, you know how these things go, it’s like a crap game. When you’re hot you shoot everything, you shoot the works. Well, right now baby, I’m so hot I’m burning up all over.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter, and Dan Yost. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon)
“Our ideal ... must be a language as clear as glass—the person looking out of the window knows there is glass there, but he is not concerned with it; what concerns him is what comes through from the other side.”
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)