Why is the interior of tempered glass kept plastic during the cooling process?

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The interior of tempered glass is kept plastic during the cooling process primarily to create a compression on the surface as it cools. This is a critical aspect of how tempered glass is manufactured. During the tempering process, the glass is heated to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled. By maintaining the interior in a plastic state during this rapid cooling, the outer surface of the glass cools and solidifies more quickly than the inner layers. This temperature differential induces a compressive stress in the surface layers of the glass, making it significantly stronger than regular glass and more resistant to breakage.

This compression is crucial because when tempered glass does fail, it tends to shatter into small, blunt pieces rather than sharp shards, enhancing safety. The other options do not accurately capture the primary reason for maintaining the plasticity of the inner layers during the cooling process. For example, while preventing shattering upon impact is a result of the compressive stresses created, it does not directly explain the purpose of maintaining plasticity during cooling. Similarly, ensuring uniform temperature and allowing for greater flexibility in shaping do not accurately reflect the mechanical properties and stress optimization that tempering imparts to the glass.

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