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Thermal Expansion of Solids and Liquids.
Thermal Expansions in solids:
Solids expand when heated and contract when cooled. The rate of expansion and contraction differ for different types of solids. Expansion means increase in size of an object. Some effects of expansion can be observed in:
i. Railway line and bridges;
ii. Buildings;
iii. Wires (television, PHCN, telephone cables, etc.);
iv. Bimetallic strip;
v. Thermometer (i.e. bimetallic strip thermometer, liquid-in-glass thermometer);
Advantages of Thermal Expansion.
Expansion effect is usefully applied in:
i. Thermostat for temperature regulation in electric pressing iron, gas cooker, water heater and cooling system;
ii. Riveting two metal plates (i.e. fitting of metal tyres on metal wheel by first heating the iron tyres and slipping it so that on cooling it contracts and fits firmly on the wheel);
iii. Construction of automatic fire alarm;
iv. Removing tight glass bottle stopper by heating the bottle neck with damped warm cloth.
Disadvantages.
i. Expansion can deform a bridge structure fixed at both ends during hot weather.
Prevention:
Make one end of the bridge rest on rollers in an expansion gap and the other end fixed.
ii. It causes railway lines without gaps to buckle (i.e. bend or crush) when weather is hot.
Prevention:
Creating gaps between the railway lines to give space for expansion.
iii. Tight stretched wires/cables without sag snap or break when there is temperature change
Prevention:
Sagging of cable/wires.
iv. A thick glass tumbler cracks when hot water is poured into it due to uneven expansion between the inner and outer layers of the glass tumbler. The inside of the glass expands more rapidly than the outside and causes a strain in the glass. Notice:
1. A type of glass known as PYREX is therefore used for making laboratory beakers and flasks to avoid the effect of expansion (i.e. breaking on heating). Pyrex has a low thermal expansivity.
2. We can remove a tight glass stopper of a glass bottle without cracking by warming the neck of the bottle with flame or warm cloth. As the bottle expands, the stopper becomes lose.
Tutorial 1 (WAEC 2014/Q 9(b) and (c))
i. List two effects of heat on a substance;
ii. Explain how to remove a tightly fitted stopper could be removed from a reagent bottle.
Linear Expansivity(α).
This can be defined as increase in length per unit length per unit rise in temperature.
Mathematically:
∆l l −l α= = 2 1 l o ∆ θ l 1(θ 2−θ1 )
i.e. ∆ l=l 2−l 1
¿ α l0 ∆ θ
= αl 1 (θ2−θ 1)
l 2=l 1 +∝l 1 ( θ2−θ1 )
where:
∆ l = change or increase in length.
l 2=¿ new length at θ2.
l o=l 1=¿old length at θ1.
∆ θ=¿ change or increase temperature.
The S.I unit of Linear Expansivity (α) is (k-1) or (0C-1) Worked Example 1:
A rod is 5m long at 300C. If a length of 5.005m is required, calculate the temperature to which the rod must be heated to obtain the required length. (Linear Expansivity of rod = 2.0 × 10 -5 k-1).
Ans: 800C.
Solution:
Given: l 1 = 5m, Ɵ1 = 300C, l 2=¿ 5.005m, Ɵ2 =? α = 2.0 x 10-5 K-1.
l 2−l 1 α= l 1 (θ2−θ1 )
−5 5.005−5 2.0 ×10 = 5(θ2−30)
2 x 10-5 x 5(Ɵ2 – 30) = 0.005
10 x 10-5 (Ɵ2 – 30) = 0.005
10-4 (Ɵ2 – 30) = 0.005
Divide both sides by 10-4:
0.005 (θ2−30¿= −4 10 = 5 x 10-3 x 104
= 50
Ɵ2 = 50 + 30 = 800C.
∴ The rod must be heated to 800C to obtain the required length.
Worked Example 2:
A steel of length 20m at a temperature of 250C expands by y metres when its temperature is raised to 1650C. determine the value of y. (Linear Expansivity of steel = 1.1 × 10-5 K-1)
Solution:
Given: l 1=¿ 20m, Ɵ1 = 250C, ∆ l= y , Ɵ2 = 1650C, α = 1.1 x 10-5 K-1
∆ l=∝l 1 (θ2−θ 1) y=¿ 1.1 x 10-5 x 20 x (165 – 25) = 1.1 x 20 x 140 x 10-5
y = 3080 x 10-5 m
= 3.08 x 10-2 m = 0.0308 m
∴ The value of y is 3.08 x 10-2 m or 0.0308 m.
Worked Example 3:
What is meant by the statement the Linear Expansivity of a solid is 1.0 x 10-5 K-1?
Answer:
The statement means that one unit of the length of the solid is increased by 1.0 x 10 -5 unit when the temperature of the solid in increased by 1 0C or 1 Kelvin.
Area/Spherical Expansivity(β).
This can be defined as increase in area per unit area per unit rise in temperature.
Mathematically:
∆A A 2− A 1 β= = A o ∆ θ A1 (θ 2−θ1 )
i.e. ∆ A= A2− A 1
¿ β A0 ∆ θ
= β A1 (θ 2−θ1 )
A2= A 1+ β A1 ( θ2−θ 1 )
where:
∆ A = change or increase in area.
A2=¿ new area at θ2 .
A o= A1=¿ old area at θ1.
∆ θ=¿ change or increase temperature.
The S.I unit of Area Expansivity (β) is (k-1) or (0C-1)
Relationship between α and β:
β=2 α
Worked Example 4:
A metal sheet of area 100cm2 was heated through 700C. Calculate its new area if the linear expansivity of the metal is 0.000017 k-1.
Exercise 3.1: 1. A metal of length 15.01m is heated until its temperature rises by 60 0C. If its new length is 15.05m, calculate its α. Ans: 4.4 x 10-5 K-1.
2. A copper rod of whose length at 300C is 10.0m is heated to 500C. Find its new length. Take α of copper as 0.000017k-1. Ans: 10.0034 m.
3. The area of a square metal is 600mm2. Calculate its new area when its temperature is raised by 15K. [linear expansivity of the metal = 1.9 x 10-5 K-1]. NECO 2014/Q15. Ans: 600.342 mm2.
4. i. Explain the statement, the linear expansivity of brass is 2.0 x 10-5 K-1. ii. Calculate the approximate cubic expansivity of brass. G.C.E 2005/Q.12(b).
Thermal Expansion in Liquids.
Cubic/Volume Expansivity of Liquids:
Assuming that the wall of a container of a liquid is of negligible thickness, the real and apparent cubic expansivities of a liquid are related by:
γ real =γ apparent +γ container
Where:
γ real =real cubic expansivity of liquid
γ apparent =apparent cubic expansivity of liquid
γ container =cubic expansivity of container .
Real (or Absolute) Cubic Expansivity:
This can be defined as the increase in volume per unit volume per unit rise in temperature. It is similar to cubic expansivity of solids.
Mathematically:
∆V v 2−v 1 γ real = = V o ∆ θ v 1 (θ2−θ 1)
Where:
∆ V = change or increase in volume.
V 2=¿ new volume at θ2.
V 1=¿ old volume at θ1.
∆ θ=¿ change or increase temperature.
Apparent Cubic Expansivity of a liquid (γ ¿¿ app)¿.
This can be defined as the increase in volume per unit volume per unit rise in temperature when a liquid is heated in an expansible container.
Mathematically:
∆V γ app = Vo∆θ
Where:
Vo = old volume of liquid
∆ v=volume of liquid expelledfrom the container
∆ θ=increase∈temperature .
Note:
In terms of mass of liquid expelled.
∆V me γ app = = V o ∆ θ mo ∆ θ
Where:
me = mass of liquid expelled from the container
mo = initial mass of liquid in the container
∆ θ=increase∈temperature .
Worked Examples 7:
The real cubic expansivity of mercury is 1.8 × 10-4k-1 and the linear expansivity of glass is 8.0 × 10-6k-1, calculate the apparent expansivity of mercury in a glass container. WAEC 2000/Q.20 A 1.00 × 10-4k-1 B. 1.56 × 10-4k-1 C. 1.72 × 10-4k-1 D. 2.04 × 10-4k-1
Solution:
[Leave 10 lines for solution]
Anomalous Expansion of Water.
The most common liquid, water, does not behave like other liquids when heated. Water does not expand continuously with temperature rise.
From 40C to 1000C, it expands normally as most liquids.
From 00C to 40C, water tends to contract (i.e. the volume decreases) until the temperature reaches 40C.
Hence, as the mass remains constant while the volume decreases, water has maximum density and minimum volume at 40C.
This behavior of water is said to be anomalous.
Reason for Unusual/Anomalous Expansion of Water.
The unusual expansion of water below 40C is because water molecules bond together differently above and below 40C.
Application of Anomalous Expansion of Water.
i. It ensures the survival of aquatic life in water.
