Examples of useful applications of thermal expansion of solids: The property o l

expansion of solids has many useful applications. Some such applications a r e

described below
An iron rim is heated before being fitted onto wooden wheels Bullock carts have
wooden wheels. These wooden wheels are fitted with iron rims to increase their lives
This process is known as shrinking-on. The iron rim (or iron tyre) is made slightly
smalier than the diameter of the wooden wheel. The iron rim is heated in dry dung
cake fire. Due to the rise in temperature, it expands. This hot iron rim is then placed
on the wooden wheel, and cooled by pouring water over it. On cooling, the iron rim
contracts and holds the wheel firmly.
Riveting of metal plates: Rivets are sometimes used for holding metal plates/
sheets together very firmly. A red-hot rivet is passed through the holes in the two
plates/sheets.While still red hot, it is hammered nearly flat. When the rivet cools
down, it contracts, and pulls the two plates together very firmly
red hot rivet

metal plate
red hot rivet is
hammered
on cooling the rivet
holds the plates firmly

Riveting of metal plates/sheets

To remove a stuck stopper or cap from a bottle: A stuck stopper can be removed
from a bottle by pouring hot water on the neck of the bottle. When hot water is
poured over the neck of the bottle, it expands. As a result, the stopper gets loosened
and can be removed
easily.
A metallic cap stuck on a glass bottle can be removed by
pouring hot water over
the cap. When hot water is poured over the cap, it
expands due to rise in its
temperature and can be removed easily.
 water over
b. Pouring hot
a. Pouring hot water over
the stuck cap to remove
it
the neck of the bottle to from the bottle
remove a stuck stopper
of thermal expansion of solids
Examples of disadvantages solids are given below:
Some examples of disadvantages
of thermal expansion of
sections of steel (called rails)
track: A long railway track consists of many
1. Railway a small gap is
left in between the
While laying a railway line,
joined to each other. If such a gap is not left
two rails at their joints to allow expansion during summer.

in
the track will get deformed due to thermal expansion
at the joints of rails, of allowing the
derailment trains. Another method
of
summer, which may
cause
the two rails. When the
expansion of rails is to use wedge joint between
a
rails expand and their ends slide past each
summer, the
temperature rises during
other. changes, a metal
in metal pipelines: When the temperature
2. Loops provided or contraction
would c a u s e
either expands or contracts. Such expansion
pipeline in the metal pipeline in order to
absorb
strain in the pipeline. Loops are provided in temperature.
contraction of the pipeline due to changes
the effects of expansion or of the pipeline
the pipeline expands. This expansion
When the temperature rises, the temperature
its size. On the other hand, when
is absorbed by the loop increasing
falls,
loops provided to allow expansion

pipelines

in metal pipelines
Two types loops provided
size.
contracts. This contraction is absorbed by the loop decreasing its
thepipeline
Sagging of telephone wires during
summer:
3. and a
and electric wires, their ends a r e fixed to the pole
While laying telephone temperature rises and the wires expand.
AS
summer,
etle sag is left. During more in between (become
more
their ends are fixed to the poles, the wires sag
curved in the middle). During winter, when the temperature
falls, the wires
contract and the sag decreaseS.
summer, a small sag is
left to allow
eephone or electric wires are laid during and tight during summer,
contraction during winter. If the wires are laid straight would
contraction produce a severe
L winter the wires would contract. This
strain in the wires and may break themn.
 of

metal.
E
In

summer,

Sagging
due
4. The time period of the pendulum
of
to
of a'clock: The pendulum of a clock is made
length of pendulum increases and thus the time taken for each oscillation
increases and the clock losestelephone
time (i.e. it goes slow). In winter, due to decrease n
increase
atmospheric temperature, the effective 1ength of pendulum decreases and thus
the time taken for each oscillation decreases
and the clockgains time (i.e. it
becomes fast). in
wires

atmospheric
during

summer

temperature,
.---
bob
5. the
Cracking of thick walled glass tumbler: A thick-walled glass tumbler often
crackswhen very hotAiquid (tea or water) is poured into it. This can be
explained as follows
When hot fective
a liquid is poured into
thick-walled glass tumbler, its inner wall gets
a

heated, while the outer wall remains at room temperature. This causes a sudden
expansion of the inner side, the outer side remaining unaffected. This unequal
expansion of the two sides produces strain in the glass and thus it cracks.
6. Construction of bridge rollers:
on Bridges are made of steel girders. One end of
girder is fixed into the thick concrete (or brick) pillar, whereas the other end is not
fixed but supported on rollers (Fig. 9.11). Due to any rise or fall in
temperature
during summer or winter, the steel girder slides due to its expansion or contraction
without causing any damage to the supporting pillars.
 roller end

Expansion gaps in a steel bridge

Bimetallic strip:
at number of points in such
Plates of two different metals which are riveted together
a way that they cannot slide on being
heated or cooled from bimetallic strip.
Invar

Brass
Figure (a) : At room temperature
room temperature
Figure a shows a brass-invar (an alloy of iron) bimetallic strip at
in a straight position, at room temperature. When this strip is heated (Figure b),
the
brass expands more as compared to invar. This unequal expansion bends the strip,
such that the brass takes outer edge of the bend and the invar takes the inner edge
of the bend
Invar

Bráss
Figure (b): On heating
Conversely, on cooling the bimetallic strip below the room temperature, the brass
Invar

contracts more than invar.j

Brass
Figure (c) : On cooling
Thus, bimetallic strip bends, such that invar takes the outer edge of the bend and
the brass takes the inner edge of bend.
Expansion of Liquids:
LAquids expands on heating. Liquids do not have a shape of their own. They assume
the shape of
their container. Liquids are associated with volume expansion only.
When a liquid is heated, both the liquid and its container expand. Since the
expansion of the 1liquid is much more than that of solids, it appears that only the
liquid expands.
 When a liquid in a container is heated, both the liguid and the container expand.
Hence in the case of liquid, there are two
types of expansion. They are
Apparent expansion:
Is the expansion of a liquid in which the expansion of its container has not been taken
into account.
a p p a r e n t expansion = expansion of liquid only

Note: The volume between initial and final liquid levels gives the apparenat
expansion.
(ii Real expansion:
The actual expansion of the liquid is called real or absolute expansion.

Real expansion =
expansion of liquid + expansion of vessel.
Note:
) Apparent expansion plus the expansion of the vessel gives the real expansion of the
liquid.
the level of the liquid. Expansion of the liquid
(ii) Expansion of the vessel decreases
cause the liquid level to rise.
But expansion of the liquid is about 10 times greater
the net result is a rise in the liquid level.
than the expansion of the vessel. Therefore