Chapter 2, Problem 15PP

It is important to consider the effect of thermal expansion when building a structure that must withstand changes in temperature. For example, a metal beam will expand in hot temperatures. The additional stress could cause the structure to fail. Similarly, a material will contract in cold temperatures. The linear change in length of a material if it is allowed to freely expand is described by the following equation:

  L Δ=α L 0 T Δ

Here, L₀ is the initial length of the material in meters, L_Δ is the displacement in meters, T_Δ is the change in temperature in Celsius, and a is a coefficient for linear expansion.

Write a program that inputs a, L_Δ, and T_Δ, then calculates and outputs the linear displacement. If the displacement is positive then output that “The material will expand by” the displacement in meters. If the displacement is negative then output that “The material will contract by” the displacement in meters. You shouldn’t output the displacement as a negative number. Here are some values for a for    different materials.

Aluminum	2.31 × 10–5
Copper	1.70 × 10–5
Glass	8.50 × 10–6
Steel	1.20 × 10–5