Module No.

3
THERMAL EXPANSION
THERMODYNAMICS
SCI 108

Course Description

This is a four (4) unit course that includes the study of basics of thermal energy,
quantitative descriptions of thermal phenomenon such as temperature and heat, transfer of
energy, relationship between heat and work, thermodynamic processes, laws and thermal
effects on matter and the surroundings. This is also an output- based course with the
application of concepts, laws and principles to day to day activities.

Laboratory work is an integral part of this course. This involves dry (exercises,
problem sets) and wet laboratory activities that are done to confirm the correctness of
principles learned.

Overview

This module covers the concept of thermal expansion which include linear expansion,
area and volume expansions. It also provides drill and exercises to help better understand its
application and for problem solving purposes.

What will you do to open a tightly covered metal cap of a glass

jar? Perhaps you have seen that some people heat the cover on the stove
to “loosen” the metal cap. They do this because the metal cap expands
when it is heated.

How about the sagging of wires during summer? Are you aware
that there are many occurrence of tire bursting during April than
December? These and other instances will be discussed as the lesson
progress.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

1. explain thermal expansion

2. cite and discuss the different types of thermal expansion

3. enumerate situations as evidence of thermal expansion

4. solve the thermal expansion word related problems accurately.

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 Indicated content

1. Thermal expansion

a. Linear expansion

b. Surface area expansion

c. Volume expansion

Discussion

 Most materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. This change in the
dimension of an object due to temperature change is called thermal
expansion.

 The change in the length of a body when the temperature changes is

called linear expansion. The change in the length of an object ΔL is
proportional to its initial length L0 and the change in the temperature
ΔT. The proportionality constant α is called the coefficient of linear
expansion. This can be computed using the following equation:

ΔL = L0 α ΔT

To find the final length L, note that ΔL = L- L0. Simple substitution gives

L = L0 (1 + αΔT)

 The unit for the constant α is (Co)-1 or K-1. The table below gives the coefficient of
linear expansion for different materials. Note that aluminum has a greater coefficient
of linear expansion than copper. Thus, for a given increase in temperature, aluminum
expands more than copper. Likewise, for a given decrease in temperature, aluminum
also contract more than other materials such as brass and copper.

Table 1. Coefficient of Expansion of Some Materials

Material Coefficient of Linear Coefficient of Volume

Expansion, α ( 1/C or 1/K)
o
Expansion, β ( 1/C or 1/K)
o

Solid

Aluminum 2.4 x 10-5 7.2 x 10-5

Brass 2.0 x 10-5 6.0 x 10 -5

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Copper 1.7 x 10-5 5.1 x 10 -5

Glass 0.4 – 0.9 x 10-5 1.2 x 2. 7 x 10 -5

Steel 1.2 x 10 -5 3.6 x 10-5

Liquid

Mercury 18 x 10-5

Ethyl alcohol 1100 x 10 -6

Gasoline 950 x 10 -6

Water 210 x 10 -6

Gas

Air 3400 x 10 -6

Example 1. A steel framework of a building is 110 m tall when the temperature is 270C. What
is the length of the steel framework on a hot summer day when the temperature is 370C?
Given: l₁ = 110 m
T1 = 270C
T2 = 370C
α = 12 x 10-6/C0
Required; l₂ = ?

𝛥𝑙 = 𝛼𝑙ₒ𝛥𝑇: = (12 x 10-6/C0) (110 m) (370C - 270C)

= 0.0132 m
𝛥𝑙 = 𝑙₂ − 𝑙₁ : l₂ = Δl + l₁ = 0.0132 m + 110 m = 110.0132 m

 Area Expansion

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Example 2.
An aluminum sheet 2.50 m long and 3.24 m wide is connected to some posts when it was at a
temperature of −10.5 0C. What is the change in area of the aluminum sheet when the
temperature rises to 65.0 0C?
α Al = 2.4 × 10−5/0C
A0 = L1L2 (to solve the initial area)
A0 = (2.50 m)(3.24 m)
= 8.10 m2
∆A = 2αA0∆t (to solve the change in area)
= 2(2.4 × 10−5/0C)(8.10 m2)(65.0 0C − (−10.5 0C)
= 0.0294 m2
= 294 cm2
A = A0 + ∆A (to solve the final Area)
= 8.10 m2+ 0.0294 m2
= 8.13 m2

 Volume Expansion

 Similar to linear expansion, the volume of materials

changes when temperature changes. This is called
volume expansion. The change in volume ΔV is
proportional to the initial volume V0 and change in
temperature ΔT. The proportionality constant is the
coefficient of the volume expansion denoted by the
symbol β. In equation form, you can write

ΔV = V0 βΔT

You can find the final volume V by taking note that ΔV = V-V0.

V=V0 (1 + β Δ T)

Example 3:

Show that the coefficient of volume expansion is simply three times the coefficient of
linear expansion: β = 3α.

Solution:

First, note that the final volume V is the cube of the final length L.

Substituting L= L0 3(1 + α Δ T) gives

V= [L0 (1 + α ΔT]3

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 V=L0 3[13 + 3 (1)2 (α Δ T) + 3(1) (α Δ T) 2 + (α Δ T)3]

For a small ΔT, you can neglect the terms (ΔT) 2 and (ΔT)3. This gives

V= V0 [1 + 3 α Δ T]

Comparing with V= V0 (1 + β ΔT), you see that

Β=3α

This is an important result. If you know the coefficient of linear expansion for a
particular material, then you can find the coefficient of volume expansion by simply
multiplying it by three.

Example 4:

Consider a glass tube with a volume of 200cm3 that is filled to the brim with
mercury at 20oC. How much mercury would overflow if the temperature of the system
is raised to 100oC? Note that coefficient of volume expansion of the glass and of
mercury are 0.40 x 10 -5 K -1, respectively.

Solution:

The amount of mercury that would overflow is difference in the changes of its volume
and the inner volume of the glass tube, as follows:

ΔV overflow = ΔV mercury – ΔV glass

Note that the volume of the mercury and the inner volume of the glass tube have the
same initial volume of 200 cm3. The change in the volume of mercury is

ΔV overflow = V0 β mercury ΔT =(200 cm3) (18 x 10-5 K-1) (80 K)

ΔVmercury = 2.88 cm3

Can you see why ΔT = 80 K? Can you use ΔT = 80 Co instead?

The change in the inner volume of the glass tube is

ΔVglass = V0 βglass ΔT = (200 cm3) (0.4 x 10 -5 K -1) (80 K)

ΔVglass = 0.064 cm3

Thus, the amount of mercury that overflow is

ΔV overflow = 2.88 cm3 – 0.064 cm3 = 2.816 cm3

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  Application of thermal expansion:

1. ENGINE COOLANT (car’s radiator)

2. WATER
3. THE GAS LAWS
4. THERMOMETERS
5. JAR LIDS
6. POWER LINES
7. EXPANSION JOINTS
8. THE BIMETALLIC STRIP IN THERMOSTATS
9. RAILROADS/ CONCRETE ROADS, ETC……

1. Problem set
(Please see attached sheet)

Exercises/Drill

1. A steel railroad track has a length of 30 m when the temperature is 0oC. (a) What is its
length on a hot day when the temperature is 40 oC. (b) Suppose the track is nailed down so
that it can’t expand. What stress results in the track due to the temperature change?

2. (a) A circular copper ring at 20 oC has a hole with an area of 9.980 cm2. What minimum
temperature must it have so that it can be slipped onto a steel metal rod having a cross-
sectional area of 10 cm2 ? (b) Suppose the ring and the rod are heated simultaneously. What
minimum change in temperature of both will allow the ring to be slipped onto the end of the
rod?

3. A steel rail is being built in segment, each 10.0 m long, when the temperature is 27. 0 oC?

a. What will be the change in the length of steel segment when the surrounding air
temperature becomes 18 oC?

b. If the expected maximum temperature is 35 oC, how much gap should be left between
adjacent segments at 27 oC to prevent buckling?
The coefficient of linear expansion of steel is 12 x 10 -6/Co

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 Evaluation

Part I. Direction: Choose the correct answer.

1. A metal disc with a hole in it is heated. Will the diameter of the hole
a. increase
b. decrease
c. not change?
2. You have enough money to buy 10 L of petrol. When should you buy it?
a. 12:00 pm c. 6:00 pm
b. 2:00 pm d. 6:00 am
3. Why does running a jar under hot water make it easier to open?
a. Because the metal expands into the spaces between the glass threads.
b. Because the gaps between the threads and the lid get larger as it expands
c. Because hot things are more malleable
d. Because the gaps between the threads and the lid get smaller as it expands
4. Of the following substances, the one that requires the greatest amount of heat per
kilogram for a given increase in temperature is
a. Ice c. steam
b. Water d. copper
5. A pressure cooker cooks food more rapidly than an ordinary pot with a loose lid
because
a. The pressure forces heat into the food
b. The higher pressure lowers the boiling point of water
c. The higher pressure raises the boiling point of water
d. The higher pressure increases the specific heat capacity of water
6. One litre of a certain gas is heated from 25 oC to 100 oC. What is the final volume of the
gas if the pressure is kept constant?
a. 1.25 litres c. 10.8 litres
b. 2.50 litres d. 4.6 litres
7. One liter of water at 8 C is heated to 75 C. What is its change in volume if β =
0 0

210X10- 6/C0?
a.0.05L b. 0.04L c. 0.02 L d. 0.01L
8. The liquid in the thermometer rises when it is placed in the hot water because
a. It gains heat from hot water and expands
b. Loses heat from the hot water and contracts
c. The surrounding air is too warm
d. The liquid is boiling
9. .Many objects such as train tracks and road joints are specifically designed to allow
extra space for
a. Thermal energy b. specific heat c. thermal expansion d.
conduction

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 For Questions No. 5– 6, please refer to the problem below.

A steel girder is 10 m long. Its coefficient of linear expansion is 1.2X10-5/0C.

10. What is the increase in length of a steel girder at 5 0C when its temperature rises to 300C ?
a. 3mm b. 30mm c. 3 cm d. 3m
11. How much force is needed to stretch the girder by the same amount at constant
temperature if the girders’ cross – sectional area is 200 cm2.
a. 1.1 X106 N b. 1.2 X106 N c. 1.3 X106 N d. 1.4 X106
N
12. A steel framework of a building is 110 m tall when the temperature is 270C. What is the
length of the steel framework on a hot summer day when the temperature is 37 0C?
a. 110.05m b. 110.04m c.110.02m d. 110.01m
13. Calculate the volume of water that overflows when a Pyrex beaker filled to the brim with
250 cm3 of water at 200C is heater to 600C.
a. 1 cm3 b. 2 cm3 c. 3 cm3 d. 4 cm3
14. If you heat up an object that contains holes and crevices, what happens to those holes?
a. They increase in size at the same rate as the object itself.
b. The increases in size at a rate greater than the object itself.
c. They decrease in size at a rate slower than the object itself.
d. They remain the same.
15. Name two solid materials having very low linear expansivity.
a. mercury and ethyl alcohol
b. Invar and fused silica
c. brass and copper
d. copper and air

Part II. Problem Solving

1. Just before midnight, when the air temperature of 10.0ºC, Karl stops and fills the
0.0600 m3 gas tank in his car. At noon the next day, when the temperature has risen to
32ºC, Karl finds a puddle of gasoline (βgas = 3 x 10 -4 ºC -1) beneath his car.
a. How much gasoline spilled out of Karl's car? (assume that there was virtually
no change in the volume of his tank)

2. As he rides the train to work on a - 4ºC winter day, Mr. Trump notices that he can hear
the click of the train going over the spaces between the rails. Six months later, on a
30ºC summer day, the rails are pushed together and he hears no clicks. If the rails are
5 meters long when the temperature is 30ºC, how large a gap is left between the steel
rails (α steel = 1.2 x 10 - 5 ºC -1) on the cold winter day?

3. A rod of metal is measured at 285 K and is 3.521 m long. At 373 K the rod is 3.523 m
long. Determine the value of the coefficient of linear expansion for the metal.

4. Expansion of a railroad track. A steel railroad track was 30.0 m long when it was
initially laid at a temperature of −6.70 oC. What is the change in length of the track
when the temperature rises to 35.0 oC?
The coefficient of linear expansion for steel, found from table, is α steel = 1.20 ×
10−5/oC.

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 5. An aluminum box 0.750 m long, 0.250 m wide, and 0.450 m high is at a temperature
of −15.6 0C. What is the change in volume of the aluminum box when the temperature
rises to 120 0C?
The coefficient of linear expansion for aluminum, found from table, is αAl = 2.4 × 10−5/0C.
The original volume of the box is ______.

Part III. Output Based

1. Make an electronic scrapbook about thermal expansion.

Additional Reading

1. Topic: Special Behavior of Water

Guide Question:
Cite the special behavior of water and give one (1) specific example
2. To learn further, visit these links:

a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UtfegG4DU8
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JuKqkZVgTU

References

a. Books

1. General Physics 1 (2017). Arevalo, Ryan. Diwa Learning Systems, Inc.

2. Physics Fundamentals 2 (2012). Serway, Raymond and Vuille, Chris. CENGAGE

Learning Philippine Edition

3. Fourth Physics (2nd Edition). Navaza, Delia C.,Valdes, Bienvenido, J., Pheonix
Publishing House

b. Website

1. http://mrscho.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/1/1/231188/thermal_expansion_worksheet.
pdf
2. https://www.google.com/search?q=application+of+thermal+expansion+in+daily+l
ife&rlz=1C1GCEB_enPH886PH886&oq=application+of+thermal+expansion&aq
s=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.9446j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UtfegG4DU8
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JuKqkZVgTU

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Name:________________________Yr. & Group:________________Date:_________Rating

Problem Set in Thermal Expansion

Answer the following problems and show your process. 32 cm

1. The dimension of a copper frame when the temperature

is 20 oC are shown in figure. What is the area of the
frame when the temperature becomes 40 oC? The 26.5 cm
coefficient of linear expansion of copper 17 x 10-6/C.

5 cm

2. Parylene, a protective coating used for implantable

artificial organs, has linear coefficient of expansion of
6.9 x 10 -5/Co .Silicone, on the other hand, has linear coefficient of expansion of 30 x 10 -5/
Co In a laboratory, a 1.00 cubic cm3 sample of each material is stored at a temperature of
10.0 oC.
a. If the temperature in the storage increase to 60 oC, what is the percent increase in
volume of each sample?
b. At 60 oC, by how much larger will the silicone cube be than the parylene cube?

3. What is the increase in length of a steel that is 10 m long at 5oC when its temperature rises
to 30oC? The coefficient of linear expansion of steel is 1.2 x 10 -5/ oC.

4. Calculate the volume of water that overflows when a pyrex beaker filled with 250 cm3 of
water at 20 oC is heated at 60 oC.

5. The steel bed of a suspension bridge is 200 m long at 20 oC. If the extremes of temperature
to which it might be exposed are -30oC to + 40 oC, how much will it contract and expand?

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