I can't figure this one out thermal expansion of rod and ruler

In summary, the rod length changes from 20.01 cm to 20.18 cm when placed in an oven at 219°C, indicating a change in length of .1257 cm. Using the coefficient of thermal expansion for steel, the material coefficient is calculated to be 3.140965e-5. However, there may be a systematic error in the measurement process resulting in an incorrect answer.
  • #1
1MileCrash
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Homework Statement



At 19°C, a rod is exactly 20.01 cm long on a steel ruler. Both the rod and the ruler are placed in an oven at 219°C, where the rod now measures 20.18 cm on the same ruler. What is the coefficient of linear expansion for the material of which the rod is made?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



The ruler is "normally" 20.01 cm.
Using the coefficient of thermal expansion for steel, I know that the oven caused it to lengthen to 20.054022 cm.

That means that the new ruler's inches are 1.0022 times longer than the "old ruler."

The rod measures 20.18 cm on the "new ruler," and since 20.18/1.0022 = 20.13570146, that's what the rod would have measured on the "old ruler."

Therefore the change in length of the rod is 20.1357 - 20.01 = .1257.

Therefore the rod material coefficient is

.1257 / (20.01)(200) = 3.140965e-5

This is wrong, and I've worked a few of them and my answers always seem to be off by a predictable amount (slightly more than half of the correct answer). What's going wrong here?
 
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  • #2
Think over the measurement with new ruler and old ruler.

You measure the length of a rod L with a ruler of inch scale.
You get that the rod is L=8 units long. One unit is 2.5 cm on your ruler. What is the length of the rod measured with a cm-scale ruler?

ehild
 

Related to I can't figure this one out thermal expansion of rod and ruler

What is thermal expansion?

Thermal expansion is the tendency of a material to expand or contract in response to changes in temperature. This is due to the increase or decrease in the average distance between atoms or molecules as the temperature changes.

How does thermal expansion affect a rod and ruler?

When a rod or ruler is exposed to changes in temperature, its length can change due to thermal expansion. This means that the rod or ruler will either expand or contract, depending on the direction of the temperature change.

What factors can affect thermal expansion of a rod and ruler?

The thermal expansion of a rod and ruler can be influenced by several factors, including the material it is made of, the length and thickness of the object, and the temperature change it is exposed to.

Can thermal expansion cause measurement errors in a rod and ruler?

Yes, thermal expansion can cause measurement errors in a rod and ruler. If the temperature changes significantly, the length of the rod or ruler will also change, leading to inaccurate measurements. This is why it is important to take into account thermal expansion when using these tools for precise measurements.

How can the effects of thermal expansion be minimized in a rod and ruler?

To minimize the effects of thermal expansion in a rod and ruler, materials with lower thermal expansion coefficients can be used. Additionally, keeping the temperature constant during measurements and using multiple measurements at different temperatures can help to reduce errors caused by thermal expansion.

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