Would the hole then contract
cowpuppy said:I don't think that's the reason. Just because it is a solid doesn't mean the density doesn't change. And in the case of a block of material with no holes, if you were to heat it, it would expand in all unrestricted directions, and the volume (therefore, density, since mass is the same) would increase.
Thermal expansion/contraction is a physical phenomenon in which the size, shape, and volume of a material change in response to a change in temperature.
Thermal expansion/contraction occurs because of the movement of atoms and molecules in a material. When the temperature increases, the atoms and molecules vibrate more vigorously, causing them to take up more space and expand. When the temperature decreases, the atoms and molecules move less, causing the material to contract.
Different materials have different rates of thermal expansion/contraction. Generally, materials with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion will expand or contract more than those with a lower coefficient. This can cause issues in structures made of multiple materials, as they may expand and contract at different rates.
Some common examples of thermal expansion/contraction include the expansion and contraction of metal bridges in hot and cold weather, the cracking of sidewalks due to temperature changes, and the use of expansion joints in buildings to allow for thermal expansion/contraction without damaging the structure.
The amount of thermal expansion/contraction in a material is measured by its coefficient of thermal expansion, which is typically expressed in units of length per degree Celsius. To calculate the change in size or volume of a material due to thermal expansion/contraction, the original size or volume is multiplied by the change in temperature and the coefficient of thermal expansion.