AboutSteve Nelson Expertise Ph.D. from Duke University in Physics. Explaining odd observations that seem counterintuitive, energy science, nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, and alternative theories of physics are my specialties. Homework I may be able to give you a start on but not answer (please don't ask if that's what you want).
Experience I'm a physics professor, research in nuclear astrophysics. I teach physics, radiation safety, vacuum technology, and answer tons of questions as I tour schools encouraging students to consider careers in science.
Education/Credentials Ph. D. from Duke University in physics, research in nuclear astrophysics reactions, gamma-ray astronomy technology, and advanced nuclear reactors.
Expert: Steve Nelson Date: 7/24/2008 Subject: Broken window
Question QUESTION: How can I tell if a window was broken on the inside or the outside. Most of the glass is on the inside. I don't see any on the outside. but my mother in law thinks it happened on the inside because the screen is not damaged.
ANSWER: Please send more information in a follow-up question (there should be a link to ask one on this page), such as which side of the window the screen is on and what you mean by most of the glass being on the inside but the screen being on the outside. Are there any marks or indentations on the screen? Large/small/sharp? And is there anything that you suspect might have done the breaking?
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QUESTION: The screen is on the outside. the broken pieces of glass are on the inside. There are not marks on the screen which makes my mother in law think it was done inside the house but I think it was done on the outside since all of the glass fell inside the house and not toward the outside. so no there is a hole where the glass was and lots of cracks going up from where the glass broke. I suspect that either one of our kids broke it by mistake from the outside or maybe someone else might have done it. I know that the windows have been broken several times since it was built (before we moved in) where people in the nieghborhood were trying to see if they can steal something.
Answer I think the logical conclusion is that you're correct. A blunt or sharp object breaking the window from the inside would've resulted in scratches to the screen on the inside from the shards of glass being pushed to the outside. A sharp object on the outside would result in a similar single indentation, but a blunt object (baseball, someone trying to break in using a blunt object and then scared away by how loud it was, whatever) hitting the window from the outside could've pushed the screen flat against the window before breaking it and bouncing away. No scratches. That, and all the glass would've been pushed towards the inside of the house more than simple bouncing off the sill could really explain. You can drop a handful of hard objects on the sill to test that, but it doesn't have to have pushed it in, just cracked it enough to shatter under its own weight, but it might be a telltale sign.
You might want to ask some kind of forensic scientist about it as a follow-up, since this isn't quite fundamental physics, but this seems like the most logical explanation.
