The coefficient of thermal expansion tells us how much a material can expand due to heat.
Explanation:
Thermal expansion occurs when a material is subjected to heat and changes it's shape, area and volume as a result of that heat. How much that material changes is dependent on it's coefficient of thermal expansion.
Different materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion (i.e. It is a material property and differs from one material to the next). It is important to understand how materials behave when heated, especially for engineering applications when a change in dimension might pose a problem or risk (eg. building large structures).
