Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Expansion Rates of Different Metals 
Name: N/A
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I am doing a science fair project on the expansion rates of three different metals: copper, aluminum, and galvanized steel. I was trying to find g=d information to back up my hypotheses s=i oops i meant e=i (which I have not t made yet) but I cannot fing g=d any. Can some one help me find some info? Also, I would like to know if a the heat from a home electric oven wold make a significant and noticeable difference to the naked eye when the metal s expanded. I bought some wire that is made of the given metals to use in my experiment . The wire is 18 gauge. Thank.


Replies:
Visit a library and look in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. It will have a table containing thermal expansion coefficients for various metals. From the numbers given you should be able to determine if you can do the experiment in your oven. By the way. Make sure you form your hypothesis BEFORE designing the experiments.
Hope this helps.

Greg


Click here to return to the Physics Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory