EXPERIMENT No.

1:
COEFFICIENT OF LINEAR EXPANSION
Group 8

INTRODUCTION:
Most materials are in to thermal expansion which has a tendency to expand
when heated, and to contract or compress when cooled. For this phenomena
or action, bridges are built with metal expansion joints, so that they can
expand and contract without causing faults in the overall structure of the
bridge. Some machines and structures likewise have a feature protection
against the dangers of linear expansion. Useful linear expansion in
thermometers and thermostats which makes the apparatus work.

OBJECTIVE:
To be able to measure the coefficient of linear expansion of a metal rod.

THEORY:
Almost all substances expand and contract when cooled. The proportional
increase in length of a solid material when heated for every increase in
temperature by one (1) degree Celsius is called the coefficient of linear
expansion.
The relationship governing the linear expansion of a long thin rod can be
reasoned out as follows:

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Linear Expansion apparatus

Thermometer
Boiler
Metal Rod
Micrometer
Meter stick

1. Measure the initial length of the rod and temperature.

2. Connect the boiler an allow to pass the steam through the apparatus for
some time, until the rod has had time to be heated through and the
thermometer is steady.
3. Catch the condensed steam in a vessel.
4. Turn the micrometer screw until it again makes a gentle contact with the end
of the rod.
5. Record the temperature and read the micrometer.
Note: The micrometer reading must be taken with great ease since the
expansion is a very small quantity and any error made in measuring will make a
difference in the final result.

Length of
Rod (mm)

TEMPERATURE

MICROMETER

First

First

Last

COMPUTATION
Sample computations for aluminum:

Last

(mm)

t rm=25 C
o

t hot =75 C

-the room temperature.

-the temperature when steam was introduced.

t=7525=50 oC
L=1.23 mm
Lo=702 mm
=

the change in temperature.

-the change in the length of the rod.

-the initial length of the rod before introducing steam.

1.23
=3.5 x 105 /C o
(703 ) (50)

-the experimental value for the coefficient of linear

expansion.

AV =2.38 x 105 / C o
105 /
2.38 x 10 3.5 x
x 100=47.24
2.38 x 105
%Error=
5

QUIZ
1. When the temperature of a rod of copper is increased, its length:
(a) stays the same
(b) increases
(c) decreases
2. The amount by which unit length of a material increases when the
temperature is raised one degree is called the coefficient of:
(a) cubic expansion
(b) superficial expansion
(c) linear expansion
3. The symbol used for volumetric expansion is:
(a)
(b)
(c) L
(d)

4. Some iron has a coefficient of linear expansion of 12106 K1. A 100mm

length of iron piping is heated through 20 K. The pipe extends by:
(a) 0.24mm
(b) 0.024mm
(c) 2.4mm
(d) 0.0024mm
5. The length of a 100mm bar of metal increases by 0.3mm when subjected
to a temperature rise of 100 K. The coefficient of linear expansion of the
metal is:
(a) 3 103 K1
(b) 3 104 K1
(c) 3 105 K1
(d) 3 106 K1