THERMAL

EXPANSION
(Linear and Volume)
Objectives
✘ Define thermal expansion
✘ Identify the factors affecting thermal
expansion
✘ Solve sample problems involving linear
expansion and volume expansion
✘ Cite everyday applications of the concepts
THERMAL EXPANSION
Chane in the dimension(s) of a substance due to
change in temperature
 FACTORS AFFECTING
THERMAL EXPANSION
TEMPERATURE
✘ Higher change in temperature, the higher the
expansion
✘ ΔT 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.

✘ Symbol used - α
ORIGINAL DIMENSION
✘ Greater original dimension, greater the
expansion.

✘ L for linear

✘ A for area

✘ V for volume
TYPES OF EXPANSION
LINEAR EXPANSION
✘ the expansion in length of solid bodies on
heating.
 COEFFICIENTS OF
THERMAL EXPANSION
FOR SOME
MATERIALS
 Example:

−6
12𝑥10 1/𝐾
Opening a tight Jar lid
VOLUME EXPANSION
✘ sometimes called the “cubic expansion”
Exercises
1. During winter, why is it important to protect
water pipes?
2. Why is it advisable to
allow telephone lines to
sag when stringing them
between pokes in
summer?
3. What is the change in length of metal rod with
an initial length of 2 meters, a coefficient of thermal
expansion 0.00002/K and a temperature change of
20 K?
4. Suppose you have a 0.05 L container made of
glass that is at 283 K. You raised its temperature to
303 K. By how much will its volume increase?
(glass= 25.5 x 10^-6 1/K)
5. A steel rail is 24.4m long.
How much does it expand
during a day when the low
temperature is 291 K and
high temperature is 306 K?
(Steel=12x10^-6 1/K)
6. The length of a brass bar is 150 cm at 40 degrees
celsius. What will be its length at 100 degrees
celsius?
(α=19x10^-6/K)
7. An aluminum flag pole is 20.0 m tall on a -15
degrees celsius winter’s day. How much higher will
the flag fly from the pole on a hot 42 degrees
celsius summer day?
8. What amount of change in temperature did a
0.25 kg copper metal undergo when it is initially
5.0m long and expanded by 0.00002 m?
9. A glass flask whose volume is 1000 cm^3 at 0.0
degress celsius is completely filled with mercury at
this temperature. When flask and mecury are
warmed to 80.0 degrees celsius, 12.5 cm^3 of
mercury overflow. Compute the coefficient of
volume expansion of the glass.