Applications of thermal expansion of solids and fluids



An iron rim is heated before being fitted onto wooden wheels

The iron rim is made slightly smaller than the diameter of the wooden wheel. The rim is heated and this hot iron rim is then placed on a wooden wheel and cooled by pouring water over it. On cooling,     the iron rim contracts and holds the wheel firmly.

Riveting of metal plates

A red-hot rivet is passed through the holes in the two plates/sheets. While still red hot it is hammered nearly flat. When the rivet cools down, it contracts and pulls the two plates together very firmly.

To remove a stuck stopper or cap from a bottle

A metal cap stuck on a glass bottle/stuck stopper can be removed from the bottle by pouring hot water on the cap/neck of the bottle. When hot water is poured over the cap/neck of the bottle, it expands and the cap/stopper gets loosened and can be removed easily.

Laying of rail tracks



If rails are fixed tightly, leaving no space for expansion or contraction, these will bend outward in summer. It will result in the derailment of the train. To avoid such a situation, small gaps are left in between the rails.

Laying of telephone and Electric transmission wires

When the telephone or telegraph wires are laid in summer they are kept slightly loose to allow for contraction in winter. Similarly, if they are laid in winter they are kept very tight to follow expansion during summer.

Laying of the cement floor

The cement floor is laid in small blocks leaving a very small space in between the blocks to allow the expansion and not crack the floor during the expansion in summer.

Expansion of fluids

Liquids have no definite length or area but have definite volume. So that a liquid expands only in volume, that expansion is called as cubical expansion. Different liquids have different rates of expansion, for the same rise in temperature.

Gases have no definite shape but have a definite volume in an enclosed vessel. When gases are heated they expand, i.e., they have cubical expansion in gases is very large as compared to the solids or liquids.

Transmission of heat

“The phenomenon of transfer from a hotter body to a colder body is called transfer of heat”. There are three modes of transfer of heat

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

Conduction

The process of transmission of heat in solids without the actual movement of particles from their positions is called the conduction of heat. A medium is required for the transfer of heat by conduction.

Therefore conduction is not possible in a vacuum. In solids, heat is transferred mainly by the process of conduction. Heat can be conducted from one body to another only if they are in contact with each other at different temperatures.

The substances that allow the heat energy to flow through them easily are called good conductors of heat or simply conductors. All metals are good conductors of heat. Silver is the best, copper is next, followed by aluminium, iron and lead.

The substances, which do not allow the heat energy to flow through them easily are called bad conductors of heat or heat insulators. Substances such as glass, wood, cloth, air, pure, water, wax, paper, clay etc., are the bad conductors of heat.

Liquids (except mercury) are usually the poor conductors of heat. Gases are still poorer conductors of heat as compared to liquids. Ebonite and asbestos are the worst conductors of heat.

Convection

Convection is the node of heat transfer in liquids and gases taking place by the actual movement of molecules from one part to another. A medium is required for the transfer of heat by convection.

Heat cannot be transferred is always vertically upwards. By the process of convection, the heat transmission is always vertically upwards.

Land breeze

The cold air blowing from land towards the sea during the night is called a land breeze.

At night, the land cools more quickly than the seawater. Thus the air above the sea being warmer rises up and the cooler air from the land surface blows towards the sea to take its place. This sets up convectional currents that form the land breeze.

Sea breeze

The cold air blowing from the sea towards the land during the day is called the sea breeze.

During this time, the land becomes more heated than the sea. The air above the land expands rises up and colder air from the sea surface blows towards the land to take its place. This sets up convectional currents which form the sea breeze.

Radiation

Radiation is the process of transfer of heat from a hot body to a cold body directly without heating the space in between the two bodies. It does not require any medium in between. The sun’s heat energy passes through this vacuum and reaches up without heating the region in between.

Heat radiation

Travel with the velocity of light (i.e., 3x108 m s-1)

Heat radiation can travel through a vacuum.

Do not heat the material through which they pass.

Travel in straight lines.

Heat radiation can travel in all directions.

Objects having a dull black colour are good absorbers/emitters of heat. Objects having a shiny white colour are bad absorbers/emitters of heat.

Applications of thermal expansion of solids and fluids    Applications of thermal expansion of solids and fluids Reviewed by knowledge people creators on December 03, 2021 Rating: 5
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