Thermal Expansion
Physics · 50 practice questions
Solids — definition and determination of linear, area and volume expansivities, effects and applications (e.g. expansion strips, railway lines), relationship between expansivities; liquids — volume expansivity, real and apparent expansivity, determination of volume expansivity, anomalous expansion of water.
- Determine linear and volume expansivities and assess their effects and applications.
- Determine the relationship between different expansivities.
- Determine volume, apparent and real expansivities of liquids and analyse the anomalous expansion of water.
Try a few questions
- Practice question 1
Thermal expansion must be carefully accounted for in the design of large structures like pipelines carrying hot fluids, to prevent
- A.dangerous stress buildup
- B.an unwanted decrease in the fluid's temperature
- C.an unwanted increase in the pipeline's overall length permanently
- D.a complete loss of fluid pressure within the pipeline
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A. dangerous stress buildup
Ignoring thermal expansion in such structures risks dangerous internal stresses that could damage or rupture the pipeline.
- Practice question 2
A liquid's observed expansion in a thermometer is technically its
- A.real expansion, with the container's own expansion having no effect at all
- B.apparent expansion, since the glass container itself also expands slightly
- C.a measure entirely unrelated to the container used
- D.always identical numerically to its real expansion
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B. apparent expansion, since the glass container itself also expands slightly
Since the container also expands somewhat, what is directly observed is the liquid's apparent, not real, expansion.
- Practice question 3
Overfilling a liquid-filled container, such as a fuel tank, can be dangerous, since thermal expansion of the liquid on a hot day could
- A.cause the container to shrink and crack
- B.have no effect at all on the liquid or its container
- C.cause it to overflow or the container to rupture
- D.cause the liquid to instantly freeze inside the container
Show the answer
C. cause it to overflow or the container to rupture
Without adequate space to expand into, a heated liquid can generate dangerous pressure or simply overflow its container.
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