Physics 101: Lecture 26

Temperature & Thermal Expansion

 Today’s lecture will cover Textbook Sections 12.1 - 12.5

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 1

 Internal Energy and Temperature
 All objects have “internal energy” (measured in Joules)
Internal energy of a system is the energy which is
left when the total external mechanical energy
(kinetic+potential) has been subtracted.
Examples: kinetic energy of molecules, binding energy
 Thermal internal energy is the average kinetic energy of

molecules in motion. Temperature is a measure of

this average kinetic energy. The amount of thermal
internal energy of an objects depends on
 temperature
» related to average kinetic energy per molecule
 how many molecules
» mass
 “specific heat capacity”
» related to how many different ways a molecule can move
» the more ways it can move, the higher the specific heat

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 2

 Temperature Scales

Fahrenheit Celcius Kelvin

212 100 373.15
Water boils

32 0 273.15 Water freezes

-273.15 0 absolute zero

-459

Conversion factors:
1 C = 9/5 F T(K) = T (C ) + 273.15

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 3

 Thermal Expansion
 When temperature rises
 molecules have more kinetic energy
» they are moving faster, on the average
 consequently, things tend to expand
 amount of expansion depends on…
 change in temperature
 original length
 coefficient of thermal expansion
» L0 + L = L0 +  L0 T
 L =  L0 T (linear expansion)
 V =  L0 T (volume expansion)

Temp: T
L0
Temp: T+T
L
Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 4
 Concept Question
As you heat a block of aluminum from 0 C to 100 C its density
1. Increases
2. Decreases CORRECT
3. Stays the same

T = 100 C
T=0C

M, V0 M, V100
0 = M / V0
100 = M / V100

< 0

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 5

 Concept Question
An aluminum plate has a circular hole cut in it. A copper ball (solid
sphere) has exactly the same diameter as the hole when both are at
room temperature, and hence can just barely be pushed through it. If
both the plate and the ball are now heated up to a few hundred degrees
Celsius, how will the ball and the hole fit ((aluminum) >  (copper) ) ?
1. The ball won’t fit through the hole any more
2. The ball will fit more easily through the hole CORRECT
3. Same as at room temperature

The aluminum plate and copper ball both have

different coefficients of thermal expansion.
Aluminum has a higher coefficient than copper
which means the aluminum plate hole will
expand to be larger than the copper ball's
expansion and allow more space for the ball to
pass through.

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 6

Why does the hole get bigger when the plate expands ???

Imagine a plate made from 9 smaller pieces.

Each piece expands.
If you remove one piece, it will leave an “expanded hole”

Object at temp T
Same object at higher T:
Plate and hole both get larger

Physics 101: Lecture 26, Pg 7