Linear Expansion Coefficient Lab
Physics 103A
Mohammad Ihsan, Julian Victoria, Patrick Rojek, Nirav Patel
Professor Huang
2/13/17
Objective
The objective of this lab was to measure the coefficient of linear expansion for different metal
rods.
Introduction
When the temperature of a certain substance is increased in a range that does not produce a
change of phase, the linear dimension for that substance increases as well. The added heat
increases the vibrational kinetic energy of the atoms in the material, which in turn increases the
distance between the atoms. An equation is thus derived, where the increase in a linear
dimension
∆ L
(L-L
0
) is proportional to the increase in temperature
∆T
(T-T
0
) and initial
dimension L
0
. The equation is:
∆ L
L
0
=
α ∆T
, where the proportionality
α
is called the
coefficient of linear expansion. This coefficient depends on many factors, such as, but not limited
to, the composition and purity of the material, and temperature. This was the main equation that
we needed for this experiment.
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- Spring '16
- Physics, Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Heat
