PHYS1001

Physics 1 REGULAR
Module 2 Thermal Physics
HEAT
EXPANSION & CONTRACTION

What changes in
dimensions occur when
heat is extracted or
added to a system ?

HEAT : EXPANSION & CONTRACTION

17.4 p576

18.2 p617

Linear, Area, Volume

Thermal expansion of water
Thermal Stress (no)
Molecular properties of matter

References: University Physics 12th ed Young & Freedman

3
How does a change in
temperature affect the
dimensions of a system?
Give examples where you have
to consider the changes in the
dimensions of a system when
heat is added or extracted

A iron disc with a hole in it is heated.

Will the diameter of the hole (a) increase, (b)
decrease or (c) not change?

Holes get bigger

T1

<

T2

As metal expands, the distance between any two points

increases. A hole expands just as if its made of the
same material as the hole.

8
A nut is very tight on a screw. Which of the following is
most likely to free it?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Cooling it
Heating it
Either
Neither

Bimetallic strips
Two strips of different metals welded
together at one temperature become more
or less curved at other temperatures
because the metals have different values
for their coefficient of linear expansion .
They are often used as thermometers and
thermostats

lower metal expands more than

upper metal when heated

Most solids and liquids expand when heated. Why?

10

Average distance between atoms

Inter-atomic forces

springs
Internal Energy U is
associated with the
amplitude of the
oscillation of the atoms

Collisions of thermally oscillating atoms make them

shift further apart
Repulsive force

PE

Attractive force

E3
E2
E1

Separation of atoms
average distance between atoms

Solid heated increased

vibration of atoms increase
max displacement either side
of equilibrium position
vibration is asymmetric
mean distance increases with
increasing temperature
THERMAL EXPANSION

11

LINEAR THERMAL EXPANSION

L Lo T

12

Ceramics (deep PE troughs) low expansion coefficients

~10-6 K-1
Polymers high expansion coefficients
~ 10-4 K-1
Metals
~ 10-5 K-1

coefficient of linear expansion

Linear

Ao

Lo

Area

Vo

Volume 13

L
L
L Lo T

A
A 2 Ao T

V
V 3 Vo T Vo T

* Simple model: assume and are independent of temperature, T < 100 oC

* Wood expands differently in different directions

Volume expansion solid cube

V o = Lo 3
V = L3 = (Lo + Lo T)3 = Lo3(1 + T)3
V = Lo3 (1 + 3 T + 3 2 T2 + 3 T3)
V = Lo3 (1 + 3 T)

(ignoring higher order terms)

V0 = V T
L 3T
V - Vo = V = 3
o
o
coefficient of linear expansion
coefficient of volume expansion

14

Water has an anomalous coefficient of volume

expansion, is negative between 0 C and 4 C.
Liquid water is one of the few substances with a negative
coefficient of volume expansion at some temperatures
(glass bottles filled with water explode in a freezer) it
does not behave like other liquids
T > 4 C

water expands as temperature increases

0 < T < 4 C

water expands as temperature drops

from 4 C to 0 C

T = 3.98 C water has its maximum density

15

volume V (L)

density (g/mL)
kg.m-3

WATER 1 kg sample

1.002

16

1000.2

1.0018

1000

1.0016

999.8

1.0014

999.6

1.0012

999.4

1.001

999.2

1.0008

999

1.0006

998.8

1.0004

998.6

1.0002

998.4

998.2

0.9998

998
0

12

temperature T (C)

16

20

m
V

volume
density

BUOYANCY - FLOATING AND SINKING

Why do ice cubes float on water?

17

Lakes freeze from top down rather from bottom up

Water on surface cools towards 0 C due to surrounding environment.
Water as it cools and becomes more dense, it sinks carrying oxygen
with it (it is most dense at about 4 C). Warmer water moves up from
below. This mixing continues until the temperature reaches 4 C. Water
then freezes first at the surface and the ice remains on the surface
since ice is less dense than water (0.917 g/mL). The water at the
bottom remains at 4 C until almost the whole body of water is frozen.
Without this peculiar but wonderful property of water, life on this planet
may not have been possible because the body of water would have
frozen from bottom up destroying all animal and plant life.

18

19
Problem B.1
As a result of a temperature rise of 32 C a bar with a crack at
its centre buckles upward. If the fixed distance between the
ends of the bar is 3.77 m and the coefficient of linear
expansion of the bar is 2.5x10 -5 K-1, find the rise at the centre.

20

Solution
T = 32 C
= 2.510-5 K-1
Lo = 3.77/2 m = 1.885 m
h=?m
L=?m

Identify / Setup

2Lo

Linear expansion

L = Lo + L = Lo + Lo T

h=?m

h
Lo

Execute

From Pythagoras theorem

L2 = Lo2 + h2
h2 = L2 Lo2
= (Lo + Lo T)2 Lo2
= 2 Lo2T + 2 Lo2 T2
h = (2 T) Lo

neglecting very small terms

h = {(2)(2.510-5)(32)} (1.885) m
h = 0.075 m

Evaluate

21

22
Problem B.2
When should you buy your petrol?

2 pm

2 am

23
When should you buy your petrol?
2 am

2 pm

V 3 Vo T Vo T

24

Problem B.3
A square is cut out of a copper sheet. Two straight
scratches on the surface of the square intersect
forming an angle . The square is heated
uniformly. As a result, the angle between the
scratches
A
B
C
D

increases
decreases
stays the same
depends on angle being acute or obtuse

25

Problem B.4
A surveyor uses a steel measuring tape that is exactly
50.000 m at a temperature of 20 oC. (a) What is the length
on a hot summer day when the temperature is 35 oC? (b)
On the hot day the surveyor measures a distance off the
tape as 35.794 m. What is the actual distance?
Y & F Examples 17.2 /3.

steel = 1.210-5 K-1

Solution

26

ISEE

L0 = 50 .000 m T = 15 oC = 1.210-5 K-1

L = L0(1 + T) = 50.009 m

Part (b) is tricky

expansion by a factor 2
The actual distance is larger than the distance read off the tape by a factor
L / L0
true distance = (35.794) (50.0009) / (50.000) m = 35.800 m