THE USES OF EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION

Expansion and contraction Substances expand or get bigger when they are heated up. They contract or get smaller when they are cooled down. This property can be useful. Thermometers work because the liquid inside them expands and rises up the tube when it gets hotter. Metal parts can be fitted together without welding using shrink fitting. The animation shows how this works

Materials expanding and contracting can also cause problems. For example, bridges expand in the summer heat and need special joints to stop them bending out of shape.

What do the particles do?

When substances expand or contract, their particles stay the same size. It is the space between the particles that changes: The particles in a solid vibrate more when it is heated, and take up more room. The particles in a liquid move around each other more when it is heated, and take up more room. The particles in a gas move more quickly in all directions when it is heated, and take up more room

Mercury thermometer

Example:
Mylar balloon is filled with helium gas at room temperature and sealed. Mylar balloons work for this phenomenon because they do not stretch like rubber balloons. Students must infer that the balloon looks deflated because the gas in it contracted when cooled and the balloon reinflates when it returns to room temperature is because the gas in it expanded. The thermal expansion of gases is much more noticeable than solids and liquids. One liter of gas expands 34 mL for a temperature increase of 10C.

Example:

THANK YOU