Tempered glass is true about tempered glass compared with laminated glass?

• A. It is harder than laminated glass
• B. It is softer than laminated glass
• C. It shatters in the same pattern as laminated glass
• D. It is used in body panels

Answer: (A)

Tempered glass gains its strength from a heat-treating process that puts a protective compressive layer on the surface. That surface hardening makes tempered glass much more resistant to bending and impact, so in this practical sense it is harder than laminated glass. Laminated glass, on the other hand, is made of two sheets with an interlayer (like PVB) that holds the pieces together if it cracks, which improves safety but doesn’t increase surface hardness to the same degree. When tempered glass does fail, it breaks into many small, blunt pieces, whereas laminated glass tends to crack but stay bonded because the interlayer holds the shards in place. In vehicle construction, windshields are typically laminated for safety, while tempered glass is used for some side and rear windows, not for body panels. So the statement that tempered glass is harder than laminated glass best captures the distinct strength and failure behavior of the two types.