Another problem on Thermal Expansion

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves thermal expansion, specifically examining how the expansion of a beaker, a lead sphere, and mercury affects the volume of liquid when the temperature changes from -10 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius. Participants are exploring the implications of thermal expansion coefficients for different materials involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between the expansion of the beaker, the lead sphere, and the mercury, questioning whether any mercury will overflow due to the expansion of the beaker. There are inquiries about how to calculate the volume of the beaker based on the dimensions of the sphere and the initial volume of mercury.

Discussion Status

Some participants are providing hints and guidance on how to approach the problem, such as calculating the expansion of the beaker and the sphere, and determining the available volume for the mercury. Multiple interpretations regarding the dimensions of the beaker and the initial volume are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working with specific thermal expansion coefficients and are considering the initial conditions of the problem, including the dimensions of the beaker and the sphere. There is an emphasis on understanding how these factors interact without reaching a definitive conclusion.

andrew410
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A beaker made of ordinary glass contains a lead sphere of diameter 4 cm firmly attached to its bottom. At a uniform temperature of -10 degrees Celsius, the beaker is filled to the brim with 118 cm^3 of mercury, which completely covers the sphere. How much mercury overflows from the beaker if the temperature is raised to 30 degrees Celsius?

Things I know so far:
average linear expansion coefficient of glass: 9*10^-6
average linear expansion coefficient of lead: 29*10^-6
average volume expansion coefficient of mercury: 1.82*10^-4
\Delta V=\beta V_{i}\Delta T

Wouldn't nothing spill because when the beaker's temperature rises then the beaker expands more.
If I'm wrong then could someone lead me into the right direction?
Thanks in advance! :)
 
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andrew410 said:
Wouldn't nothing spill because when the beaker's temperature rises then the beaker expands more.
Don't guess, figure it out! How much does the beaker expand? The lead sphere? So... how much volume is left available in the beaker? How much does the mercury expand? So... how much must overflow?

Hint: Given the linear expansion coefficient, how can you find the volume expansion coefficient?
 
How would you get the height of the beaker? I assume that the diameter of the beaker is approximately 4 cm because the sphere is firmly attached to the bottom of the beaker. Or is this the wrong way to get the initial volume of the beaker?
 
You have the initial volume of mercury and the dimensions of the sphere. That's all you need to find the volume of the beaker.
 
So the volume of the beaker is volume of mercury + volume of the sphere?
 
andrew410 said:
So the volume of the beaker is volume of mercury + volume of the sphere?
Right. At least initially.
 

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