Question

Engineers design city sidewalks using blocks of asphalt separated by a small gap to prevent them from cracking. Which of the following laws best explains this practice?

• A. The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
• B. The First Law of Thermodynamics
• C. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
• D. The law of thermal expansion
• E. Conservation of charge

Answer 1

The correct option is D The law of thermal expansion

Asphalt, like most materials, has a positive coefficient of linear expansion, meaning that it expands as temperatures rise in summer and shrinks as temperatures fall in winter. This effect is called the law of thermal expansion. The gaps in the sidewalk allow the blocks to expand without pushing against each other and cracking.