General Physics Laboratory

Exercise number: 29
Exercise tittle: determination of thermal expansion coefficient
And investigation of heat transfer
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Date of classes
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1
1. Purpose of the exercise
The aim of this experiment is determination of thermal expansion coefficient  of an
investigated metal. Data analysis:
1. Plotting a graph of relative elongation Δ L/ L0 dependence versus temperature change ΔT
(marking the error bars).
2. Fitting the
3. experimental data by the straight line: y = Ax ± B (where: y =Δ L/ L0 , x=ΔT, A=,
uncertainty u(A)=u()). The slope determines the value of the thermal expansion
coefficient .
4. Knowing the value of , describing the material from which the investigated wire was
built.
5. Knowing the values of current and voltage, calculating the power P and its uncertainty
uc ( P).
6. Plotting a graph of dependence of P = f(ΔT) (marking the error bars).

2. A short theoretical introductions

Thermal expansion refers to the change in volume or length of a substance in response to a
change in temperature. It occurs in many materials. In most cases, the higher the temperature,
the larger (in our case – longer) the material becomes. As we heat the material, its average
kinetic energy increases, which results in the molecules of the material vibrating more and
needing more space to expand. For example, the parts of metal constructions such as bridges
have small openings to enable the thermal expansion. The degree of expansion divided by the
change in temperature is called the coefficient of thermal expansion and holds the specific
value for different materials. In this experiment we encounter the linear thermal expansion
which can be described by the following formula: the fractional change in length is equal to the
difference in temperature multiplied by the coefficient of thermal expansion.

2
 3. Results
Lp. t 0 [℃ ] I[A] U [V ] P[W ] t [℃ ] ΔT [℃ ]
1 23,5 0,2 0,7
∆0,14 23,8
∆ L 0,3
Lp. L0 [m] t 0 [℃ ] 2 t [℃ ]
3
ΔT [℃0,4 ]
0,6
ΔL [m]1,5
2,2
L
L0,6
0
1,32
29,5uc
36,6
L0 ( )
6
13,1
α[
1
℃
]

1 0,88 23,5 23,8 0,3 0,0004 0,0004545 0,000000006878 0,00001720154

4 0,8 3 2,4 45,7 22,2
2 29,5 6 0,0006 0,0006818 0,000000007256
5 1 3,8 3,8 56,5 33
3 36,6 13,1 0,0008 0,0009091 0,000000007754
6 1,2 4,6 5,52 69,3 45,8
4 45,7 22,2 0,001 0,0011364 0,000000008350
7 1,4 5,3 7,42 82,6 59,1
5 56,5 33 0,0012 0,0013636 0,000000009026
8 1,5 5,7 8,55 90,1 66,6
6 69,3 45,8 0,0014 0,0015909 0,000000009764
9 1,6 6 9,6 96,7 73,2
7 82,6 59,1 0,0015 0,0017045 0,000000010153
10 1,7 6,4 10,88 104,4 80,9
8 90,1 66,6 0,0016 0,0018182 0,000000010552
11 1,8 6,8 12,24 113,8 90,3
9 96,7 73,2 0,0017 0,0019318 0,000000010961
12 1,9 7,2 13,68 122,4 98,9
10 104,4 80,9 0,0018 0,0020455 0,000000011379
ΔX 0,5 0,012 0,017 0,5
11 113,8 90,3 0,0019 0,0021591 0,000000011805
u(X) 0,29 0,006928 0,009815 0,29
12 122,4 98,9 0,00197 0,0022386 0,000000012107
uc(X) 0,005232 0,42
ΔX 0,5 0,5 0,00001
u(X) 0,004 0,288675 0,288675 0,000005774
uc(X) 0,408248 0,00000096584

Relative elongation dependece versus temperature change

0.0025

0.002

0.0015
ΔL/L0

0.001

0.0005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

ΔT

3
 P = f(ΔT)
16

14

12

10

8
P

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

ΔT

Sample Calculations
4
Calculating temperature change and it’s uncertainty:
∆ T =t−t 0 ∆ T =23 , 80 ℃−23 ,5 ℃=0 , 3℃
∆ t0
u ( t 0 )=
√3
0,5
u ( t 0 )= ℃=0,28868 ℃ ≈ 0 , 29℃
√3

√[ ][ ]
2 2
∂∆T ∂∆T
∙u ( t 0 ) uc ( ∆ T )=√ [ 0,28868 ℃ ] + [ 0,28868 ℃ ] =0,40825℃ ≈ 0 , 41℃
2 2
uc ( ∆ T ) = ∙u ( t ) +
∂t ∂ t0

Calculating uncertainty of elongation of the wire:

∆ (∆ L)
u ( ∆ L )=
√3
0,00001
u ( ∆ L )= m=0,000005774 ≈ 0,0000058 m
√3
Calculating relative elongation of the wire and it’s uncertainty:

∆ L 0,00004 m
= =0,0004545
L0 0 , 88 m

√[ ][ ] ( ) √[
2 2
∆L ∆L
∂ ∂
][ ]
2 2

( )
∆L L0 L0 ∆L 1 0,00001
uc = ∙u ( ∆ L ) + ∙ u ( L0 ) u c = ∙ 0,0000058 + ∙ 0,0004545 =0,000006878 ≈ 0,0
L0 ∂∆ L ∂ L0 L0 0 , 88 (0 ,88)2

Calculating expansion coefficient  and it’s uncertainty:

Δ=n ∑ ( x 2 ) −( ∑ x ) =152454
2

n ∑ ( xy )−∑ x ∑ y
¿ =0,00001720154
Δ

b=
∑ (x ) ∑ y−∑ x ∑ (xy)
2
=0,000657951
∆

σ y=
√ ∑ ( y i−b−x i) 2 =0,00166
n−2

u()=σ y
√ n
∆
=0,000014747

Calculating total standard uncertainty of measured voltage:

∆ U =%rdg+ a∙ dgt
5
 ∆ U =1 % ∙ 0 ,7 V + 0 ,1 V =0,017 V

∆U 0 , 0,017 V
u ( U )= u ( U )= =0,00981 V ≈ 0 ,01 V
√3 √3

Calculating total standard uncertainty of measured current:

∆ I =%rdg+ a ∙ dgt ∆ I =1 % ∙ 0 , 2+0 , 01 A=0,012 A

∆I 0,012 A
u ( I )= u ( I )= =0,00693 A ≈ 0,007 A
√3 √3
Calculating power and it’s uncertainty:

P=U ∙ I

P=0 ,7 V ∙ 0 ,2 A=0 , 14 W

√[ ][ ]
2 2
∂P ∂P
uc ( P ) = ∙ u (U ) + ∙u ( I )
∂U ∂I

uc ( P )=√ [ 0 ,2 ∙ 0,00981 ] + [ 0 ,7 ∙ 0,0000069 ] =0,00523 W

2 2

5. Conclusions
According to the aim of the experiment, we have:
● Plotted the graph of relative elongation Δ L/ L0dependence versus temperature change ΔT;

● Determined the thermal expansion coefficient  of an investigated metal and its uncertainty uc

●
¿ 0,00001720154
6
 u()=0,000014747

● Calculated the power P and its uncertainty uc ( P):

P=0 ,14 [W ]

uc ( P )=0,007293 [ W ] ≈ 0,0073[W ]

● Plotted a graph of dependence of P = f( Δ T).

The obtained value of thermal expansion coefficient α suggests that the investigated metal could be
copper ( = (1 , 70; 1 , 73)∙ 10−5 ¿]).