L38 Thermal Expansion – Linear, Surface and Volume Expansion

Thermal Expansion

The increase in size of an object due to an increase in temperature.

Coefficient of Linear Expansion

A measure of how much a material expands per degree of temperature increase.

Linear Expansion

The change in length of an object as a result of a temperature change.

Surface/Area Expansion

The change in surface area of an object due to a temperature change.

Volume Expansion

The change in volume of an object when it is heated.

Mercury-in-glass thermometer

A device that measures temperature using the expansion of mercury in a glass tube.

Bimetallic Strip

A strip made of two metals with different coefficients of expansion that bends when heated.

Isotropic material

Materials that expand equally in all directions when heated.

Intermolecular Force

The attractive or repulsive forces between molecules that affect thermal expansion.

Expansion Joint in Bridges

A joint designed to absorb the expansion and contraction of bridge sections due to temperature changes.