The discussion focuses on calculating the temperature at which an aluminum rod becomes 0.5 mm longer than a copper rod, given their initial lengths and coefficients of thermal expansion. The coefficients of expansion are 2.38 x 10-5 for aluminum and 1.68 x 10-5 for copper. The equation used for the change in length is ∆L = (α∆T)(100 cm). The solution indicates that a temperature increase of 71.43 degrees Celsius from the initial 5 degrees results in the aluminum rod being longer. Additionally, a related problem involves calculating the actual distance between lamp posts using a metal tape with a coefficient of linear expansion of 50 x 10-6 /°C.
PREREQUISITESStudents in physics or engineering, material scientists, and professionals involved in construction or manufacturing who need to understand the implications of thermal expansion on materials.
