What formula is used to calculate the change in length of a steel rod with respect to temperature change?

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The formula used to calculate the change in length of a material, such as a steel rod, due to a temperature change is indeed expressed as the original length multiplied by the change in temperature and the coefficient of linear expansion. This formula captures how materials expand or contract in response to temperature variations.

In this context:

  • Delta L represents the change in length of the rod.

  • The original length is the length of the rod before any temperature changes occur.

  • Delta T signifies the change in temperature, which is the difference between the final and initial temperatures.

  • The coefficient of linear expansion is a material-specific constant that indicates how much the length of the material changes per degree of temperature increase.

The relationship is linear, meaning the amount of expansion is proportional to the change in temperature. When the temperature increases, the material expands, and when the temperature decreases, the material contracts. By using this formula, one can accurately calculate how much a steel rod's length will change with a given temperature change, reflecting the physical property of thermal expansion in materials.

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