What is thermal expansion? Explain the different types of expansions.
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in shape, area, and volume in response to a change in temperature.[1]
Temperature is a monotonic function of the average molecular kinetic energy of a substance. When a substance is heated, the kinetic energy of its molecules increases. Thus, the molecules begin vibrating/moving more and usually maintain a greater average separation. Materials which contract with increasing temperature are unusual; this effect is limited in size, and only occurs within limited temperature ranges (see examples below). The relative expansion (also called strain) divided by the change in temperature is called the material's coefficient of thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature.
There three types of thermal expansion:
- Linear thermal expansion
- Areal thermal expansion
- Volume thermal expansion.
Linear Thermal Expansion
When heat is applied on a body, its length expands proportional to the original length or the change in temperature in the body. Area Thermal Expansion
When heat is applied on a body, its area expands proportional to the original area or the change in temperature in the body. Volume Thermal Expansion
When heat is applied on a body, its volume expands proportional to the original volume or the change in temperature in the body.
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in shape, area, and volume in response to a change in temperature.[1]
Temperature is a monotonic function of the average molecular kinetic energy of a substance. When a substance is heated, the kinetic energy of its molecules increases. Thus, the molecules begin vibrating/moving more and usually maintain a greater average separation. Materials which contract with increasing temperature are unusual; this effect is limited in size, and only occurs within limited temperature ranges (see examples below). The relative expansion (also called strain) divided by the change in temperature is called the material's coefficient of thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature.
There three types of thermal expansion:
- Linear thermal expansion
- Areal thermal expansion
- Volume thermal expansion.
When heat is applied on a body, its length expands proportional to the original length or the change in temperature in the body. Area Thermal Expansion
When heat is applied on a body, its area expands proportional to the original area or the change in temperature in the body. Volume Thermal Expansion
When heat is applied on a body, its volume expands proportional to the original volume or the change in temperature in the body.
