Temperature The effect of temperature on the strength of a material can be easily demonstrated with a piece of glass tubing commonly found in a chemistry lab. If the tubing is dropped on a hard surface, it will shatter. However, if the tubing is heated over a Bunsen burner, it can be easily bent into a variety of shapes. Rocks respond similarly to heat. Where temperatures are high (deep in Earth's crust), rocks tend to deform ductilely and flow. Likewise, where temperatures are low (at or near the surface) rocks tend to behave like brittle solids and fracture