Determining the functional dependence of glass density from temperature is important for fluid dynamic simulations (CFDs) of the glass melting process, and is done using the Archimedes principle: the weight of a platinum sphere immersed in molten glass within a calibrated furnace is determined at various temperatures (typically between 1000 and 1600°C).

Moreover, if the measurement is carried out under dynamic conditions (increasing T), it is possible to identify the temperature at which bubbles begin to develop due to the saturation of the solubility of the gases in the glass (an effect called reboil).