Experiment 301: Thermal Expansion

Guide Question: 1.) In the performance of the experiment, cite the possible sources of error and its effect in the computed values. What are the recommendations then to minimize such error?

The possible errors are: a.) The room temperature, the room temperature affect the computed value by means where the experiment is held, since we are performing in the laboratory with an air conditioned room, we must make the experiment fast as we could. The cold temperature inside the room makes the metal cool faster than normal temperature. b.) The materials inside the metal tube also affect the experiment. Materials inside the tube also contract or absorb heat that the steam generator releases. Like the water that remain inside the metal tube when conducting another trial, water is liquid and liquid expand more faster than the solid metal that affect the expansion of solid. c.) Wrong computation of result. One common error in the computed value is the human error, wherein the performer is the one who conduct mistakes in a given problem. In order minimize the error, it must be computed several times to be accurate. d.) Wrong measurement of the expansion base built-in gauge. When the gauge stopped moving, that is the time to record the expansion. Wrong measurement will create error. 2.) Would the result be different if the computed water was not drained from the expansion tube? Why? The result would be different because the condensed water inside the tube would absorb heat from the steam. When there is no condensation inside the pipe, steam energy will not be subject to heat reduction.

3.) A = 2

From the result of the experiment, compute for the coefficient of expansion for area and volume of the metals. V = 3 Valu min um = 3 (23.80 10 6 ) Valu min um = 7.14 10 5 Vcopper = 3 (16.80 10 6 ) Vcopper = 5.04 10 5

Aalu min um = 2 (23.80 10 6 ) Aalu min um = 4.76 10 5 Acopper = 2 (16.80 10 6 ) Acopper = 3.36 10 5 Problems:

1. On a hot day where the temperature is 32 C, the distance between 2 lamp post on the road is 30m as measured by a metal tape whose coefficient of linear expansion is hypothetically 50 X 10 -6/ C. if the tape gives its correct reading at 20 C, what is the actual distance between the lamp posts? t o = 32 o C Given: L = 30m

= 50 10 6 / C o
t = 20 o C

Reqd: Lo= ?

Soln: L = Lo (1 + t )

( ( L = 30(1 + 6 10 )
4

L = 30 1 + 50 10 6 / C ( 32 20 ) L = 30(1.0006 ) L = 30.018m

2. An aluminum and a copper have the same length of 100 cm at 5 C. at what temperature would one of the rods be 0.5mm longer than the other? Which rod is longer at such temperature? Given: Aluminum = 100 cm ; 23.8 x 10-6/Co Copper = 100 cm ; 16.8 x 10-6/Co o to = 5 C Soln: Al > Cu equation1 : x = Lo (1 + t ) equztion 2 : x + .5 = Lo (1 + t ) Lo (1 + copper t ) = Lo (1 + al t ) 0.5
6

(1 + 16.8 10

/ C ( t 5) = 1 + 23.8 10 6 / C ( t 5) 5 10 4
5

) (

1 + 16.8 10 / C t 8.4 10 7 10 6 / C t = 5.35 10 4 t = 76.43C

= 1 + 23.8 10 / C t 1.19 10 4 5 10 4

23.8 10 6 / C t 16.8 10 6 / C t = .999916 0.999381

Aluminum will be much longer than Copper and the temperature will be 76.43 oC.

DISCUSSION: Linear expansion is change in length due to change in temperature. In the experiment we are required to determine the coefficient of linear expansion of metal tube like the aluminum and copper. At first, we have the metal tube such as the aluminum and copper with an initial length of 700mm. After measuring the initial length of the aluminum and copper, we do the experiment. We produced heat in the form of steam using the steam generator that will enter the system of the tube to know the expansion rate of the metal tube. We measure the resistance of the metal using the thermistor and attached it to the metal tube. The thermistor will determine the resistance of the metal tube. We obtain the resistance of the aluminum tube of 112.3 kohm and copper tube of 115.2 kohm. Every corresponding resistance has a corresponding temperature that can be seen in the expansion base. The temperature of the aluminum is 23 C and 22 C respectively. After recording the resistance of the metal tube, we set the dial gauge reading to zero. After that we attach the rubber tube in the steam generator to the one end of the tube. Steam passes on the system and heat the system. After some time the resistance decreases from 112.3 kohm to 9.8 kohm for aluminum and 115.2 kohm to 11.98 kohm for copper. The corresponding temperature of the resistance after heat is applied is 82 C for aluminum and 77 C for copper. I found out that when the resistance decreases the temperature increases. It is because the intermolecular forces of attraction of the molecules want to collide because of the heat making a discrepancy of the resistance. Because heat is applied, the metal tube expands at a negligible change in length. The change in length for aluminum is 1.024 mm and 0.81 mm for copper. It is because of the expansion rate of the metal, the coefficient linear expansion of aluminum is greater than copper. We get the change in temperature by difference of the final from the initial temperature. And the change in temperature will be 59 C for aluminum and 55 C for copper.

L we compute the experimental Lo t value of the coefficient of linear expansion. We computed the values 2.48 x 10^-5/ C for aluminum and 2.1 x 10 ^-5/ C for copper and compare to the actual value and the come up with the values 2.38 x 10 ^-5/C and 1.68 x 10 ^-5/C respectively. Using the formula = We determine the percentage error using AV EV %E = 100% . We compute error and the error is 4.2% for AV aluminum and 25% for copper. The possible sources of errors that affect the experiment can be the following reason. One, the room temperature, because we do the experiment in the air conditioned room we must do the experiment fast to minimize the error cause by the cool air the appliance make. Second, the material inside the system like the water that remain inside the tube, we can minimize the error by removing the water before conducting another test. Third, the human errors like wrong computation and wrong reading of the gauge. Because of the effect of the cold air, we must do the measuring fast and precise to lessen the error. Also, we must be careful in computing the values to make sure that the computed value is correct. CONCLUSION: As a result of the experiment, I found out that materials having a change in temperature will have a change in dimension or length. The expansion of a material also depends on the value of its coefficient of linear expansion, the higher the coefficient of linear expansion the more it will expand. Likewise to the experiment, I found out that many things around us have something to do with thermal expansion. Like the roads, and train railing. They were given a space for expansion, so we can see the roads have a small slit to prevent bulky of the material or damage to the material.

Sample Computation: General Formula: L = Lo t Where: L = change in length Lo = initial length = coefficient linear expansion t = change in temperature AV= actual value EV = experimental value %E = percent error

L Lo t

Required from the Experiment:

=?
Given or the acquired data: Aluminum tube L = 1.025mm Lo = 700 mm

t = ( 82C 23C ) = 59C Solution: 1.025mm = ( 700 mm )( 59C )

= 2.48 10 5 / C
%E = %E = 100% AV 2.38 10 5 / C 2.48 10 5 / C 2.38 10 5 / C AV EV

100%

% E = 4.2%