The Physics of Fire, Earth & Glaze
Pottery is applied physics disguised as art. The potter’s wheel harnesses centripetal force to shape clay. Kilns follow precise temperature curves that transform fragile earth into stone. Glazes obey the Seger unity formula—a chemistry of fluxes, stabilizers, and glass formers that melt into liquid glass and freeze into color. Crystal glazes grow zinc silicate dendrites during controlled cooling. Raku pots survive (or crack from) thermal shock gradients of hundreds of degrees. Explore the science hidden inside every handmade cup.
Shaping clay by hand and wheel—centripetal force, coil construction, and vessel profiles.
Spin the wheel and shape virtual clay with centripetal force. Adjust speed, apply hand pressure, and center the wobbling lump into a vessel.
Stack clay coils one by one to build a pot from scratch. Control coil thickness and radius, then smooth the joins for a finished surface.
Design vessel cross-sections by dragging control points. Set wall thickness and watch a live 3D preview spin on the virtual wheel.
Temperature schedules, thermal shock, and the transformative power of heat on clay.
Run bisque, mid-fire, high-fire, or raku schedules. Watch pyrometric cones bend, the kiln glow, and the temperature curve trace in real time.
Pull red-hot pottery from the kiln and watch thermal gradients propagate cracks. Adjust wall thickness and cooling rate to control the damage.
Watch clay pass through all 7 drying stages from wet plastic to bone dry. Track water content, shrinkage curves, and crack risk in real time.
The molecular science of ceramic glazes, crystal growth, phase equilibria, and casting.
Mix fluxes, stabilizers, and glass formers using the Seger Unity Molecular Formula. Add colorant oxides and preview the resulting glaze on a bowl.
Fire a crystalline glaze and watch zinc silicate crystals nucleate and grow dendrites during controlled cooling. Adjust ZnO and hold temperature.
Pour liquid clay into a plaster mold and watch capillary action absorb water to build walls. Drain, dry, and release the cast piece.
Explore the SiO₂–Al₂O₃ binary phase diagram. Hover to identify mullite, cristobalite, corundum, and the eutectic point at 1595°C.