What happens if a windshield is punched with a spring-loaded center punch?

• A. A loud crack is heard
• B. A chip forms
• C. A small mark is formed
• D. The windshield shatters

Answer: (C)

When a spring-loaded center punch strikes glass, the energy is delivered in a brief, highly localized hit. Glass, especially a laminated windshield, resists breaking from a tiny, single impact because the impact creates only a superficial surface indentation rather than removing material or driving a crack through the pane. The outer surface may show a small mark where the tip pressed, but the surrounding layers help keep the pane intact. A loud crack would indicate a larger fracture, a chip would involve material being knocked out, and shattering would require much more energy or a flaw to propagate through the laminate. So the most likely result is a small mark formed on the surface.