Module 5- Real-World Physics Discussion

docx

School

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

102

Subject

Mechanical Engineering

Date

Nov 24, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

2

Uploaded by CountHyenaPerson312

Report
1 Temperature and Heat The topic that I chose to discuss for this week’s real-world discussion is thermal expansion. This topic is relative in our everyday lives both professionally and personally. They three key applications for this topic are the materials of an aircraft expanding due to the friction created by the air, coolant overflow tanks in cars, and even frozen pipes that burst. Thermal expansion is the process of substances such as solids, liquids, and gasses to expand or contract when heated or cooled. Depending on temperature, the expansion or contraction of an object is much larger yet still unnoticeable to the human eye. To further understand this concept, the explanation for these objects to expand or contract is “because the atoms and molecules vibrate through a larger distance and push each other apart” (Ostkiek & Bord, 2018, p. 172). Within this topic there is two sub-topics. These topics include linear thermal expansion and volume thermal expansion. The equation to find the linear expansion of an object is: where is the original length (m), is the change in temperature (C), and is the coefficient of solids (x 10^-6/C). For volume thermal expansion, the following equation is used to determine the expansion: where is the change in volume, is the initial volume (m^3), is the coefficient of volume expansion (10^-6/K) and is the change in temperature (C). There are several impacts that thermal expansion has on our everyday life and aviation. To begin, the materials used in creating aircraft is not susceptible to thermal heat from the friction caused by the air. Typically, an aircraft will expand between 15-25 centimeters during a flight due to the air friction (The Physics Hypertextbook, n.d.). We also experience thermal expansion in the coolant overflow tanks within our cars. When the engine becomes too hot the coolant expansion tank absorbs the heat and minimizes the pressure in the engine. Finally, we also experience busted pipes in the winter. Thermal expansion is a very important and relevant topic to discuss and understand. To begin, engineers must take this concept into consideration when building a bridge or even a building. If the calculation is done incorrectly and the materials used to create the structure expand or
2 contract could cause a unstable infrastructure and could collapse. References Ostdiek, Bern J & Bord, Donald J. (2018). Inquiry into Physics. Cengage Learning. Retrieved on May 26, 2022, from Inquiry into Physics (virdocs.com) The Physics Hypertextbook. (n.d.) Thermal Expansion. Retried on June 22, 2022, from Thermal Expansion – The Physics Hypertextbook
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help