THERMAL EXPANSION OF MATTER-SDA

 When matter is heated, expansion and rise in temperature occur.

 During expansion and rise in temperature, the distance between the particles in matter increases.

Note:

 In solids there is increased rate of vibration of particles i.e. the particles vibrate more vigorously
while in fluids i.e. liquids and gases the speed of movement of particles increases.
 When matter is heated, there is increase in the internal energy of matter. Internal energy is the sum
of the kinetic and potential energy of particles in matter.
 When matter is cooled, contraction occurs.

EXPANSION IN SOLIDS

EXPERIMENT TO STUDY EXPANSION OF SOLIDS (BALL AND RING EXPERIMENT):

APP: Ball and ring apparatus and a Bunsen burner

Illustration of apparatus:

ball

ring

PROCEDURE:

 Place the ball on the ring before heating it and note what happens.
 Heat the ball for some time and then place it on the ring and note what happens.

OBSERVATIONS:

 Before the ball is heated, it passes through the ring.

 After it is heated, it does not pass through the ring.

CONCLUSION:

 Solids expand when heated.

Note:

 When solids are prevented from expanding or contracting, forces arise that may lead bending,
cracking or breaking.
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PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF SOLIDS:

1. Concrete blocks, slabs and tiles are laid with soft pitch in between the sections to allow for
expansion.
2. Gaps are left in between rails in railway lines to allow for expansion so that the rails do not expand
against each other thereby bending upwards.

Illustration:

gap fish plate

rails

3. Gaps are left in between bridges to allow for expansion. Rollers are usually placed at one end of the
bridge. The bridge moves over the rollers when expansion occurs.

Illustration:
gap

bridge rollers

4. Power and telephone line are left slack or sagging, in order to allow for contraction so that when it
is very cold, the lines do not contract, tighten and snap or break.

Illustration:

line hanging loosely

post
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APPLICATIONS OF EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF SOLIDS:

1. Tightly fitting bottle caps can be loosened by pouring hot water over the cap. The cap will expand
more than the bottle thereby becoming loose.
2. RIVETING:

Is the binding of sheets of metal firmly together. Holes are drilled into the metal sheets and the hot
rivet is put through the holes and then hammered on. When the rivet cools, it contracts thereby
pulling the sheets of metal firmly together.

Illustration:

sheets of metal sheets of metal

hot rivet, before being hammered on hot rivet, after being hammered on

3. SHRINK FITTING:

Is used to fit axles into the wheels. The axle has to be of a larger diameter than the hole in the wheel.
The axle is placed into liquid nitrogen so that it contracts. It is then placed into the hole in the wheel
and when it warms up, it expands thereby fitting firmly into the hole.
Illustration:

wheel

hole

axle

BIMETAL STRIP:

 A bimetal strip consists of two metal strips of different expansion rates bound together.

Illustration:
copper

A B iron
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 When end B of the bimetal strip is heated, the strip bends downwards towards iron.

Illustration:

copper

B iron

 It bends towards iron because copper expands more than iron.

 Note: When the strip is cooled it straightens up and when cooled below room temperature, it bends
towards copper; because copper contracts more than iron.

APPLICATIONS (USES) OF BIMETAL STRIPS:

1. Used in car (flashing) indicators.

2. Used in bimetal thermometers i.e. car temperature gauges.
3. Used as switches in fire alarms.

A simple electric circuit showing use of a bimetal strip as a switch in a fire alarm:

battery

electric bell
copper

bimetal strip iron

contacts

 When there is a fire the bimetal strip bends downwards because copper expands more than iron.
This makes the contacts come together thereby completing the circuit thus making the bell ring.
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4. Used in thermostats. A thermostat is a heat controlled switch that keeps the temperatures fairly
steady.

Thermostats are used in refrigerators, electric irons, kettles, cookers, ovens, electric fires, etc.

USE OF A THERMOSTAT IN AN ELECTRIC IRON:

Illustration:
adjusting screw(knob)

insulator

springy metal
to heating element and power supply
contacts

bimetal strip
copper
iron

 When the electric iron is switched on, the element heats up and when the required temperature is
reached, the bimetal strip bends away i.e. downwards, thereby breaking the contacts. When the
element cools, the strip straightens up thereby making the contacts come together again and the
process repeats itself.

Note: The iron can be made to reach higher temperatures by adjusting the screw inwards or downwards.
When the adjusting knob is screwed downwards or inwards, the bimetal strip bends further before the
contacts separate resulting in it having to bend much more in order to break the contacts.

EXPANSION OF LIQUIDS

EXPERIMENT TO STUDY EXPANSION OF LIQUIDS:

Illustration of the apparatus:

narrow glass tube

rubber stopper

coloured water round bottomed flask

heat
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PROCEDURE:

 Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram.

 Gently heat the flask and observe what happens to the water level in the narrow glass tube.

OBSERVATIONS:

 The level of water in the narrow glass tube initially falls and then rises.

EXPLANATION:

 The level of water initially falls due to expansion of the flask and then rises due expansion of water.

CONCLUSION:

 Water expands when heated. (Liquids expand when heated)

Note: The apparatus used in the experiment can be modified to make the more sensitive i.e. make the rise in
level of the water greater for a given temperature change by:

1. using a narrower glass tube,

2. using a larger flask.

EXPANSION OF GASES

EXPERIMENT TO STUDY EXPANSION OF GASES

Illustration of apparatus:
heat

flask
air

narrow glass tube

water beaker

bubbles
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PROCEDURE:

 Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram.

 Gently heat the flask.
OBSERVATION:

 Bubbles are seen coming out of the bottom end of the narrow glass tube.

CONCLUSION:

 Air expands when heated (gases expand when heated).