Objectives:

1. To understand the concept of thermal expansion of solids.

2. To measure thermal expansion coefficient of some metals and compare the
experimental value with the acceptable value.

What is the thermal Expansion?

Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in
temperature.
When a substance is heated, its particles begin moving more and thus usually maintain a
greater average separation. Materials which contract with increasing temperature are rare this
effect is limited in size, and only occur within limited temperature ranges (see examples
below). The degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature is called the material's
coefficient of thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature.

What is the unit of Coefficient thermal expansion?

Coefficient of Linear thermal expansion= Alpha
Changelength
Alpha = originallengthchangetemp .
Meters

= MetersCelcius

1
C

= mC (meters cancel leaving).

= C-1

Experimental Procedure:
1. The length L0 of a rod was determined at a reference temperature T0. Room
temperature was a good choice for the reference temperature.
2. The rod was heated up by pumping heated water through it. When the rod reached a
constant uniform temperature T measure its change in length L.
3. Step 2 was repeated for a number of temperatures.
4. The data and Equation 2 were used to determine .

~1~

The coefficient of the thermal expansion was determined for the copper and the aluminum
tube. For each:

The reference length L0 was determined at a reference temperature T0. The length is
from the fixed position of the tube to the line inscribed on the tab. Be sure you know
which part of the tube is fixed.
Flow water at various temperatures through the tube. Wait for the tube to achieve
thermal equilibrium with the water.
For each temperature, determine the change in length from the reference length:
L L - L0

To determine either:

o Fit L versus T to a straight line.

o Fit L versus L0 T to a straight line.
Compare your values of with the acceptable values for different metals.

Figure (1) : Thermal expansion of solid materials.

Equipment lists:
1. Rods of ( Copper, Aluminum, Steel) :

~2~

Figure (2): Metallic rods

2. Pasco thermal expansion apparatus:

What is a Pasco thermal expansion apparatus?
It consists of the holder, a hollow rod whose coefficient of
thermal expansion is to be determined, a thermistor to detect
the temperature of the rod, an ohmmeter set on 200K Ohms
to determine the value of the temperature, a micrometer
movement to measure the expansion of the hollow rod, a
steam generator whose output steam is sent down the hollow
tube (not shown), a watch glass to collect the water from the
condensed steam and a piece of thermal insulation to prevent
the rod from losing temperature.

Figure (3)
The hollow rod has two washers which are positioned at a
known distance apart. One of these washers is inserted in a
slot shown in the second image. The slot is in the center of
the end piece and one can see the washer sticking slightly
above the slot.

~3~

Figure (4)
The displacement of the rod after is heated is measured by
the micrometer movement shown in the next image at the
left.

Figure (5)
The micrometer has two scales, the smallest scale shown in the
fourth image surrounding the periphery of the instrument. Each tick
mark is 0.01 mm. You may estimate to the nearest fifth of a division
or 0.002 mm. When the large dial goes once around the scale the
total displacement is 1 mm. The larger scale is enclosed in a small
circle and reads in 1 mm intervals. The large scale can be zeroed by
loosening the set-screw on the side. Then use your fingers and
rotate the periphery so that the zero will rotate and become aligned
with the zero. The image shows the needle is close to zero.

Figure (6)

~4~

In Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 the pictures describe the way the Pasco

Thermal Expansion apparatus works.

Thermal expansion coefficients for various materials:

This section summarizes the coefficients for some common materials.
In the table below, the range for is from 107/C for hard solids to 103/C for organic
liquids. varies with the temperature and some materials have a very high variation.
Material
Aluminum
Benzocyclobutene
Brass
Carbon steel
Concrete
Copper
Diamond
Ethanol
Gallium(III) arsenide
Gasoline
Glass
Glass, borosilicate
Gold
Indium phosphide
Invar
Iron
Kapton
Lead
Macor
Magnesium
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Oak
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Platinum
PVC
Quartz (fused)
Quartz
Rubber
Sapphire
Silicon Carbide
Silicon
Silver

Linear coefficient, , at 20 C
(106/C)
23.1
42
19
10.8
12
17
1
250
5.8
317
8.5
3.3
14
4.6
1.2
11.8
20
29
9.3
26
61
4.8
13
54
27
45
3.5
9
52
0.59
0.33
77
5.3
2.77
3
18

~5~

Sitall
Stainless steel
Steel
Titanium
Tungsten
Water
YbGaGe
Zerodur

0.15
17.3
11.0 ~ 13.0
8.6
4.5
69
0
0.02

Table (1): Thermal expansion coefficients for various materials

Data and results:

Group #1:
Cu yallow :
Table (2)
T
L*10-3
28.5
0
33.5
5
38.5
11
43.5
16
48.5
21

25
20
15

L*10^-3m

10
T

5
0
25

30

35

40

TC

Graph 1:

~6~

45

50

L ( 2116 )10 10
=1105
slope T =
48.543.5
5

L
110
5 1
exp(Aluminum) TL = 0.6 =1.6610 C
6 1
theo(Cu)= 1710 C

Percentage error =

theo exp
171061.66105
100 =
100 =2.35
theo
17106

Group # 2:
Copper red:
Table (3)
T
27.4
32.4
37.4
42.4
47.4

L*10-3
0
4
8.5
13
18.5

Chart Title
20
15
L*10^-3m

10
5
0
25

30

35

40

TC

Graph 2
2

L ( 18.513 )10 10
5
=1.110
slope T =
47.442.4

~7~

45

50

L
1.1105
5 1

=
=1.810 C
exp(Copper) TL
0.6
6

theo(Copper)= 1710 C

Percentage error =

theo exp
171061.8103
100 =
100 =5.88
6
theo
1710

Group # 3:
Steel:
Table (4)
T
28.3
33
38.3
43.3
48.3

L*10-3
0
3
8
11
14

L versus T
15
10
L*10^-3m
5
0
25

30

35

40

TC

Graph(3)

~8~

45

50

L ( 1411 )10 10
=6106
slope T =
48.343.3

L
6106
6 1

=
=1010 C
exp(Steel)
TL
0.6
6 1
theo(Steel)= 1210 C

Percentage error =

Group # 3:
AL:
Table (5)
T
28
33
38
43
48

theo exp
1210610103
100 =
100 =16.6
theo
12106

L*10-3
0
6
13
20
27

~9~

L versus T
30
25
20
L*10^-3m

15
10
5
0
25

30

35
TC

~ 10 ~

40

45

50

(4)Graph
2

L ( 2720 )10 10
7103

=
=
=1.4105
slope T
4843
5
L
1.4105
5 1
exp(Aluminum) TL = 0.6 =2.33310 C
6 1
theo(Aluminum)= 23.110 C

Percentage error =

Questions:
Question #1:
The units of are:
Alpha =

Changelength
originallengthchangetemp .

Meters

= MetersCelcius

1
C

6
5
theo exp
23.110 2.33310
100 =
100 =3.79
6
theo
23.110

= mC

= C-1

~ 11 ~

OR
Alpha =

Changelength
originallengthchangetemp .

Meters

= MetersCelcius

1
K

= mK

= K-1

Question #2:
Usually when temperatures are written as T they refer to values in Kelvin;
temperatures written as the lower case letter t usually refer to the value
in Celsius. Above we have used T for temperature, while the
thermometers you will use measure in Celsius. No, it does not make any
differences because in the calculations we take the differences between
the first value of temperature and the second value of temperature (delta
T= T- T0). And the value of differences does not change hence it does not
effect on the amount. So it does not matter if we are using kelvin (t) or
Celsius (T).

Question #3:
Values of
are typically on the order of 10-5 in SI units. A rod with
exactly this value of that has a length of exactly one meter when its
temperature is 20oC.
1) if its temperature changes from 20 OC to 80OC the changes in length
are:
Delta L/ delta T= *L0
L0 *

*delta T= delta L

1meter * 10-5 * (80-20) = delta L

~ 12 ~

Delta L = 0.06 cm

2) the percentage change in its length is :

The percentage change =

0.06
100

delta L 1
delta L 2

* 100 %

* 100 % = 0.06

Question # 4:
A rod made of the same material as in Question 3 has a length of exactly 100 meters when its
temperature is 20oC.
1. The percentage change in its length if its temperature changes from 20oC to 80oC is :
Delta L/ delta T= *L0
L0 *

*delta T= delta L

100000 cm * 10-5 * (80-20) = delta L

delta L = 6 cm 6/10000*100 = 0.06 meters
2. I compare my answer to the answer in the second part of Question 3 by:
The percentage change =

0.06
100

delta L 1
delta L 2

* 100 %

* 100 % = 0.06

So the percentage change does not depend on the initial length

but on the change in temperature.so we have two rods with
different length, but same temperature interval. Hence, have the
same percentage change.
3. When calculating the change in the length, multiplication was done
with the initial length, but when calculating the percentage of the
length, division on the initial length was done. So, we got this
answer and it does not have any effect on the final answer.

~ 13 ~

 Question # 5:
You will measure the temperature of the water when it enters the tube
and again when it leaves the tube, using two thermometers. Particularly at
temperatures much above room temperature, at equilibrium the two
values may not be the same: the temperature of the water exiting the
tube may be less than the water entering it:
1. The explanation is that when water flows throw the tube, it contacts
with the tube and so water will lose its temperature by conduction
while the tube will have a higher temperature.
2. Reasonable value for the temperature of the rod in this case is
temperature of rod=temperature of entering water-temp of exiting
water.
3. The difference in temperatures for water measured by the
thermometers is the same as the temperature of the rod. And when
this difference (the temperature of the rod) is greater than the
reading errors of the thermometers, it means that the error in the
measurement of the temperature of the rod is less than the
temperature of the rod, and less than the difference in temperatures
for water.

Discussion:
o In this experiment we were divided into 3 groups, each
group was able to determine the length Lo of a rod at a
reference temperature for 3 metallic rods with different
types (copper, Aluminum and Steel). Then we heated up
the rod by allowing heating water to go through it. After
that we waited for the rod to achieve thermal equilibrium
temperature with the water. Then for each temperature we
took the change in length by the micrometer movement.
o We were able to plot the graph delta L versus delta T in
order to find the slope which equals thermal expansion
coefficient that is denoted by alpha . Then we were able
to compare the values of with the accepted values for
different metals.
o We measured the thermal expansion coefficient of 3
different
metals
(Copper,
Aluminum
and
Steel)
experimentally and compared the results with the
acceptable values.

~ 14 ~

For the first group (Aluminum): the value of experimentally was

(1.3*10-5)/0.6 and the acceptable value of it were (23.1 (10-6/C)).
Hence, the percentage error between the two values was 3.79
which was the best one and is also so accurate.
For the second group (Copper): the value of experimentally was
(

6.666106 )/0.6and the acceptable value of it was 17 (10-6/C).

Hence, the percentage error between the two values was 34.6 %
which was almost big.
For the third group (Steel): the value of experimentally was (
6

3.33310
6

)/0.6 and the acceptable value of it was 11-13 (10-

/C).Hence, the percentage error between the two values was

53.70 which the worst one was and the readings were not

precise.

Conclusion:
-

Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a

change in temperature.
Materials generally change their size when subjected to a temperature change while
the pressure is held constant.
Most materials expand as they are heated and contract if they are cooled.
Alpha = (Change in length)/(original length*change in temp.)
So the unit of alpha is (1/C) or (1/K).
The micrometer has two scales, the smallest scale shown in the fourth image
surrounding the periphery of the instrument. The larger scale is enclosed in a small
circle and reads in 1 mm intervals.
The temperature of the water exiting the tube may be less than the
water entering it because when water flows throw the tube, it
contacts with the tube and so water will lose its temperature by
conduction while the tube will have a higher temperature.

References:
-

http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/IYearLab/Intros/ThermalExpans/Ther
malExpans.html
http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/physics/labs/QuickGuides/11031104/thermal_expansion1104.htm
The End

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