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Science 4 October 1996:
Vol. 274. no. 5284, pp. 65 - 0
DOI: 10.1126/science.274.5284.65
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Perspectives

John J. Gilman

Some chemical reactions, such as the detonation of explosives, can be initiated by mechanical forces. In his Perspective, Gilman discusses the microscopic story behind such reactions. Unlike liquids or gases, solids can experience shear forces, and these in turn can cause bending of atomic bonds in molecules. The energy levels of these bent molecules can change in such a way as to lead to bond breaking and rearrangement.

The author is in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1595, USA.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)