Soda Glass

• Soda glass, or soda-lime glass, is actually one of the most common types of glass being made. Soda glass consists of roughly 60-75% silica, 12-18% soda (or soda ash, a sodium salt of carbonic acid), and 5-12% lime. When mixed, heated, and cooled, these ingredients will form common glass, sometimes referred to as commercial glass.
  
  

Beakers and Vials

• One of the biggest uses for soda glass is to make beakers, vials, and other laboratory equipment. One of the biggest advantages that this type of glass has is that it's nearly chemically inert, so it won't react with other chemicals it comes into contact with.
  
  

Windows

• Most windows that are made of glass are made of soda glass. This material is easily seen through, and it can be made cheaply in large sheets. Unless a person has special needs for their windows (such as impact resistance, extreme weather, etc.) then chances are they have soda glass windows installed in their home.
  
  

Containers

• Most common containers, such as bottles, jars, drinking glasses, and bowls are made of soda glass. Since this material is easy to produce, and large quantities of it can be made and shaped to order, companies which need containers in bulk tend to go with soda glass.
  
  

Disadvantages

• Soda glass does, unfortunately, have some drawbacks. One of the most obvious is that it isn't very durable, and it breaks easily. Additionally, if temperature changes too quickly soda glass could crack, or even shatter. For situations where this might be a legitimate concern, it's a good idea to use other materials.