Question

Problem 3: Thermal expansionThe steel rod has the length 2 m and cross-section area 200 cm2at the room temperature 20◦C. Weapply the heat source and the temperature of the rod increases. The coefficient of linear expansion isα= 2×10−6K−1.a) What is the new length of the rod if the temperature jumps to 80◦C?b) What is the percentage of the volume change of the rod?c) What is the maximal temperature we can allow if the volume should not increase by more thanhalf percent?

Answer 1

Answer:

a) 2.00024 m

b) 0.036%

c) 436.67°C

Explanation:

Given

Initial length = L₀ = 2 m

Initial cross sectional Area = A₀ = 200 cm² = 0.02 m²

We can obtain initial volume = V₀ = A₀L₀ = 0.02 × 2 = 0.04 m³

Initial Temperature = T₀ = 20°C

Coefficient of linear expansivity = α = (2 × 10⁻⁶) (°C)⁻¹

a) New length of the rod after heating to 80°C

Linear expansion is given as

ΔL = L₀ × α ×ΔT

ΔL = 2 × 2 × 10⁻⁶ × (80 - 20) = 0.00024 m = 0.24 mm

New length = old length + expansion = 2 + 0.00024 = 2.00024 m

b) The percentage of the volume change of the rod.

Volume expansion is given by

ΔV = V₀ × (3α) × ΔT

Volume expansivity ≈ 3 × (linear expansivity)

ΔV = 0.04 × (3×2×10⁻⁶) × (80 - 20) = 0.0000144 m³

Percentage change in volume = 100% × (ΔV/V₀) = 100% × (0.0000144/0.04) = 0.036%

c) The maximal temperature we can allow if the volume should not increase by more than half percent.

For a half percent increase in volume, the corresponding change in volume needs to be first calculated.

Percentage change in volume = 100% × (ΔV/V₀)

0.5 = 100% × (ΔV/0.04)

(ΔV/0.04) = 0.005

ΔV = 0.0002 m³

Then we now investigate the corresponding temperature that causes this.

ΔV = V₀ × (3α) × ΔT

0.0002 = 0.04 × (3×2×10⁻⁶) × ΔT

ΔT = (0.0002)/(0.04 × 3 × 2 × 10⁻⁶) = 416.67°C

Maximal temperature = T₀ + ΔT = 20 + 416.67 = 436.67°C