THERMAL

EXPANSION

Name & course: Pajunar, Jonna P. BSME-I

Physics
Instructor: Mr. Angel Honculada
 Objectives:
• Define thermal expansion
• Identify the factors affecting thermal expansion
• Types of expansion
• Solve problems with solutions
Thermal Expansion
•-  Is the tendency of matter to change in shape, volume, and area in response
to a change in temperature.
- The general increase in the volume of a material as its temperature is
increased.
- The degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature gives the
material’s linear coefficient of thermal expansion (which is expressed in
mm^-1 deg. C^-1 as: ^30.
 Factors affecting Thermal Expansion
Temperature
• Higher change in temperature, the higher the expansion
• ∆T for the symbol
Kind of material
• Quantified by a constant value for coefficient of thermal expansion for some
materials
• The higher the coefficient, the higher the expansion
• α – is the symbol used
Original Dimension
•  Greater original dimension, the greater the expansion
• L for linear
• A for area
• V for volume
Formula: ∆L = α
∆L = Change in dimension Original length
α = coefficient of expansion ∆ = change in temperature
 Types of Expansion
•  
Linear Expansion
- The expansion in length of solid bodies on heating
∆L = α
 Coefficients of Thermal
EXPANSION FOR SOME MATERIALS
Thermal expansion examples
 Volume Expansion

•-  Sometimes called the “Cubic Expansion”

∆L = 3α
or ∆L= T
or ∆V=
 Sample problem solving

•  A segment of steel railroad truck has length of 45.000m when the temperature is 0.0 degree Celsius, what is
1.
the length when temperature is 30.0 degree Celsius.
Solution:
∆L= ∆T
∆L= (1110^6 deg. C^−1) (45.000m) (30.0 deg. C)
= 0.015
L= 45.015
 2. A 100-L tank of gas on a certain track is filled to the brim with gasoline at 20 degree
Celsius. On a hot day, the tank reaches a temperature of 35 degree Celsius. Assuming the
tank is made of steel, calculate how much of the gasoline will overflow if the car remains
parked.

•Solution:
 
∆Vgas = deg. C^-1) (100) (3520) = 1.425 L gasoline expand by

∆Vsteel = steel = (12 (350.018 L steel expand by

∆Voverflow = ∆Vgas ∆Vsteel = 1.425 L 0.018 L = 1.407 L

Volume of gasoline that
overflows