Answer to Question #106640 in Molecular Physics | Thermodynamics for Elizabeth Henderson

Question

Answer the question in 3 to 4 sentences.

Topic: Linear Expansion

1. What is the relationship between the change in length and change in the temperature of a body.

Answer 1

The length of an object is one of the more obvious things that depends on temperature. When something is heated or cooled, its length changes by an amount proportional to the original length and the change in temperature:

$$\Delta L=\alpha \Delta TL$$

The coefficient of linear expansion depends only on the material an object is made from.