What Caused the Spontaneous Fracture of an Ashtray with Lit Cigarette Buds?

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SUMMARY

The spontaneous fracture of the Anchor Hocking 5.75 Glass Ashtray occurred while it contained lit cigarette buds, leading to its sudden breakage into four pieces. This phenomenon is attributed to thermal stress and the potential for glass to shatter when subjected to uneven heating or cooling. The discussion references existing threads on Physics Forums that explore similar incidents, emphasizing the scientific significance of understanding spontaneous glass fractures.

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This discussion is beneficial for material scientists, physicists, and anyone interested in the mechanics of glass and thermal dynamics, particularly in relation to spontaneous material failure.

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We have an ashtray on an elevated table in our balcony.

No one was outside and it suddenly fractured into 4 nearly even pieces on the table. Strangely enough, all the cigarette buds were lit.

This is the ashtray we used:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Anchor-Hocking-5.75-Glass-Ashtray/17693180

My question is, how do you think this thing suddenly broke with all the cig buds lit?
 
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