The coefficient of thermal expansion describes how the size of an object changes with a change in temperature. Specifically, it measures the fractional change in size per degree change in temperature at a constant pressure, such that lower coefficients describe lower propensity for change in size.
What does coefficient of thermal expansion depend on?
It increases in length, breadth, and thickness. The increase in length of any side of a solid will depend on the original length l0, the rise in temperature t, and the coefficient of linear expansion α. The value of the coefficient of expansion varies from substance to substance.
What affects the coefficient of thermal expansion?
The amount by which it expands depends on three factors: its original length, the temperature change, and the thermal (heat) properties of the metal itself. Some substances simply expand more easily than others. ... The ease with which a substance expands is given by its coefficient of expansion.
