A Kinetic Approach to the Theory of the Strength of Glass

JSGT 1948 V32 T127-T146

A theory of the strength of glass based on the kinetic energy of the atoms has been developed on the assumption that, if the thermal energy of the atoms is distributed in accordance with the Maxwell–Boltzmann law, there is a finite probability of some of the atoms having sufficient energy to cause a local discontinuity with consequent local stress enhancement.

S. M. Cox