Thermal Expansion The thermal expansion of an object is a consequence of the change in the average separation between its constituent atoms or molecules At ordinary temperatures, molecules vibrate with a small amplitude As temperature increases the amplitude increases This causes the overall object as a whole to expand Reeder-05-06 Physics 201: Lecture 22, Pg 11
Reeder - 05-06 Physics 201: Lecture 22, Pg 11 Thermal Expansion The thermal expansion of an object is a consequence of the change in the average separation between its constituent atoms or molecules At ordinary temperatures, molecules vibrate with a small amplitude As temperature increases, the amplitude increases This causes the overall object as a whole to expand
Linear Expansion For small changes in temperature The coefficient of linear expansion, a, depends on the material See table in text These are average coefficients, they can vary somewhat with temperature Reeder-05-06 Physics 201: Lecture 22, Pg 12
Reeder - 05-06 Physics 201: Lecture 22, Pg 12 Linear Expansion For small changes in temperature The coefficient of linear expansion, , depends on the material See table in text These are average coefficients, they can vary somewhat with temperature