Heating and cooling a metal at the same time

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of simultaneously heating and cooling a metal at the same location. Participants explore the implications of this scenario on the metal's expansion or contraction, considering both theoretical and practical aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the feasibility of heating and cooling a metal at the same point simultaneously, suggesting that it may be more practical to consider nearby points instead.
  • One participant proposes a scenario involving a metal marble in cold water while being heated by sunlight, arguing that this represents a case of simultaneous heating and cooling at the same location.
  • Another participant emphasizes that the metal will only expand or contract when its overall temperature changes, indicating that a constant net temperature would result in no change in size.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of the scenario and the conditions under which expansion or contraction occurs, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are ambiguities regarding the definitions of heating and cooling at the same point, as well as the assumptions about temperature changes and their effects on the metal.

tdev
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What happens if a metal is heated and cooled at the same point at the same time??
will it expand or contract??
 
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Hi. That's a rather ambiguous question. Can you be more specific?
 
Danger said:
Hi. That's a rather ambiguous question. Can you be more specific?
what is the overall effect-expansion or compression ??
 
You can't heat and cool at the same location at the same time. But you can heat and cool simultaneously two nearby points. So, part on the heated side will expand and part on the cooled side will contract.
 
OK, you could for instance put a small metal marble in cold water and at the same time heat it with a radiative heat source like the sun. It is a 'point' that will be 'heated and cooled' at the same time, meaning there is a heat source a heat sink for the metal at the same time and location. But the metal will expand or contract only when the temperature of the metal changes. When the net temperature of the metal remains constant, it will not expand or contract.
 
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