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Name:  Steve B.
Status:  student
Age:  40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
Will a metal, regardless of size expand the same when heated? for example, will a 1 meter metal rod that expands 1/2 cm when heated expand the same 1/2 cm if the rod was 100 meters long and similary heated?

Replies:
Steve-

No, the metal, if 100 times longer, will have a change in length that is 100 times as much. The formula for linear expansion is: delta L = alpha L delta T L is length delta L is change in length alpha is the coefficient of linear expansion (different for different materials) delta T is the change in temperature.

---Nathan A. Unterman


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