THERMAL PHYSICS 1

Effects of Thermal Energy

 Physics

Heat

21 of
of 44
20 © Boardworks Ltd 2005
2004
 What is heat?
Heat :
• A type of energy that flows between objects because of their
difference in temperatures
• Thermal energy on the move

Heat energy is measured in joules (J)

How many joules are there in a kilojoule (kJ)? 1000 J

If something gains heat energy, it becomes hotter

– particles move more!
 Thermal Equilibrium
• Two objects are in thermal equilibrium
when they have the same temperature.
 They cease to exchange heat.
• Zeroth law of thermodynamics: If object A and B are
separately in thermal equilibrium with a third object C
(thermometer), then objects A and B are in thermal
equilibrium.
 Heat and Temperature
• Touching objects exchange thermal energy
– Microscopically, energy flows both ways
– On average, energy flows one way
• Temperature predicts energy flow direction
– Energy flows from hotter to colder
– No flow  thermal equilibrium  same temp
• Temperature turns out to be
– average thermal kinetic energy per particle
 What is temperature?
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold an object is.

Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (ºC).

Temperature can be measured using a thermometer.

 Measuring Temperature

Types of thermometers:
http://hgphysics.com/thph/c-measuring-temperature/
Measuring the temperature of different
substances

Substance Temperature
Yogurt from fridge
Sand
My hand
Water from the tap
A cup of coffee
Boiling water
Melting ice
6000 0C

0 0C

- 22 0C

40 0C
Heat energy will always flow from an area of high temperature to an area of lower
temperature
 Energy and temperature
Which direction is the heat flowing in the examples below?

What is the rule that tells you the direction heat will move?
 Thermal Expansion

Expansion Simulation:
http://hgphysics.com/thph/b-ther
mal-expansion/
Learning Objectives
At the end of this unit you should be able to :

1) infer that generally solids, liquids and gases expand

when heated and contract when cooled.

2) describe some effects and application of expansion

and contraction in everyday life riveting, gaps in
bridges, pavement and MRT lines, overhead power and
telephone lines, thermostats.

3) discuss the strange expansion of water.

What happens to solids when they are
heated?
Molecular Explanation of Thermal Expansion
• When the rod (say an iron rod) is heated, the vibration
of the molecules increases and their displacement, or
amplitude, also increases.
• As the amplitude of vibration increases, the average
distance between molecules of the rod becomes larger
and this accounts for its expansion in length.
Solids expand when heated and contract when cooled
Expansion of Solids

Ball and Ring A solid expands when heated,

contracts when its temperature
decreases.

Before heating the ball

(continue on next slide)

After heating the ball

Expansion of Solids
Bar and Gauge

The bar will just fit into

the gap when both the
bar and gauge are cold.
Heat the bar with
Bunsen burner.
Does it fit the gap now ?
What happens when it
cools down ?
Expansion of Solids
Bar Breaker
The steel bar is heated with Bunsen burner and then
the portion with screw thread is tighten by a nut.
What happen when
to the cast-iron rod
when the bar cools
down ?
What conclusions
you may make
from this experiment ?
Expansion of various Solids

Different materials expands by different amount

when heated through the same increase in
temperature.

Materials Increase in length (mm) per m

aluminium 0.25
brass 0.19
iron 0.12
steel 0.11
glass 0.09
invar 0.01
What happens to liquids when they are
heated?
 The results
Liquids expand whenof the experiment…
heated and contract when cooled
Expansion of Liquids

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. (a) shows a glass flask filled with coloured water.
Fig. (b) the water level is seen to fall for first few
seconds when heated. (Why ?)
Fig. (c) later, water level rises quickly. (Why ?)
Forces of expansion and contraction

From the experiment given by Bar Breaker, we may

conclude that:
Expansion and contraction produced a very large
force.
Investigating what happens to gases when they are heated and cooled..

1. Heat the gas inside the round

bottomed flask
2. What do you observe?
3. Allow the gas to cool again.
4. What do you observe?

Gases expand when heated and contract when cooled

 Compensations for Thermal Expansion
rail track
gap

oval hole for nut and

bolt to slide along
Railways tracks are laid in sections with gaps between
them. (Why ?)
The railways sections are held together by fish-plate
and fastened by bolts and nuts through oval holes.
(Why ?)
Compensations for Thermal Expansion

Rollers and gap given at one end of the bridge is

used to overcome the problem posed by contraction
in cold weather and expansion in hot weather.
Compensations for thermal expansion

Expansion
Joint

Pipelines carry very hot gases (such as steam), therefore

need expansion joint (in ring form) to avoid damages
given by expansion.
Compensations for thermal expansion

Overhead power lines and telephone wires

In summer and winter, the overhead power lines and

telephone wires will expands and contracts due to the
changing weather. How do you overcome this problem ?
 Compensations for thermal expansion

Concrete Pavement

Concrete blocks for pavements and road surfaces are

laid with gaps or joints between them. This allow it
expands or contracts during hot or cold weather
Bimetallic Strip

A bimetallic strips is
made up of two strips
of different metals.

Brass and iron are

common metals been
used.

Brass expands more

than iron when hot,
and contracts more
too.
Bimetallic strip & its application

Fire Alarm If the fire breaks

out, the heat from
the fire will cause
the bimetallic strips
to bend upwards
and complete the
circuit. The alarm
bell then ring.
Electric Iron
Application: Bimetallic strip
Application of Thermal Expansion

Fig. (a) shows the tyre

is too small when cold.
Fig. (b) shows tyre has
bigger diameter than
(a) wheel when heated.
Fig. (c ) shows that tyre
is firmly secured on the
wheel. (Why ?)

(b) (c) Metal Tyre Fixing

 Application of thermal expansion

Hot riveting is a common method to fasten two

metal plates firmly. How ?

(a) (c)
(b)
Hot Riveting
The unusual behaviour of Water

Most liquids expand when heated and contract when

cooled. Water, however is an exception.

Between 00 C to 40 C, water contracts when

temperature increases while water expands when
temperature decreases.

Water has highest density and smallest volume at 40C

Water expands when frozen – an exception
Reference
http://www.gcse.com/energy/images/electrons.gif
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