Heat and Its

Effects
 12.1 Effects of Heat
• When a substance is heated, it increases
in size.
o We say the substance expands.
o This process is called expansion.
• When a substance is cooled, it decreases
in size.
o We say the substance contracts.
o This process is called contraction.
 Expansion and contraction
• Solids
o Usually solids expand when heated, and
contract when cooled.
o Some solids expand very little such that we
may not notice the expansion.
o For example, a one metre long brass rod
increases 1 mm in length when its
temperature increases by 100 C.
 Expansion and contraction
Experiment 1: Expansion of solids

metal ring
metal ball

1. Before heating, the metal 2. After heating, the metal

ball is able to go through ball expands and is
the ring. unable to go through the
ring.
 Expansion and contraction
Experiment 2: Expansion of solids

bicycle spoke light pointer

drinking
straw
clamp

weight

1.
2. AMovement
3. When
bicycle
heated
spoke
is seen
with
is made
the
whenflame,
to
a rest
pointer
the
with
spoke
piercing
one
expands
end
the straw
on and
a drinking
rotates
rolls the
by
straw.
straw.
an
Aangle.
weight is attached to the spoke
between the flame and the straw.
 Expansion and contraction
• Liquids
o When a pot or kettle is filled to the
brim with water, the water will spill out
when it boils.
o This is because water expands when
heated.
o In general, most liquids expand when
heated, and contract when cooled.
 Expansion and contraction
Experiment 3: Expansion and contraction of water
liquid level
has risen
liquid level
has dropped

ice water
coloured
water hot water

1.
2. A glassthe
Then, flask containing
flask is placedcoloured water
in a beaker of
is
iceplaced
water.inThis
a beaker of hot
time, the water.
liquid level is
Soon
seen toafter,
drop.theThis
liquid level is seen
is because the to rise.
This shows
coloured the in
water coloured
the flaskwater expands
contracts
when
when heated by theby
it was cooled hotthe
water.
iced water.
 Expansion and contraction
• Gases
o As dough is heated, air bubbles trapped
inside the dough gain heat and expand,
creating holes in the bread. This causes the
bread to rise.
o In general, gases expand when heated, and
contract when cooled.
 Expansion and contraction
Experiment 4: Expansion and contraction of air
drop of coloured
glass tube glass
water has risen
tube
drop of coloured
water has dropped
air place
iced hands
water here

2. Theempty
1. An emptyflaskflaskcontaining
is then placed in aisbeaker
only air heated.of
iced water.
The drop ofThis time, water
coloured the drop of coloured
is seen to rise up
water fallsThis
the tube. down the tube. This
is because, whenisthe
because
flask is
the air inthe
heated, theairflask hasitbeen
inside cooled
expands andbypushes
the
ice
the water
drop of and
waterhasupwards.
contracted.
 12.2 Effects of Heat in
Everyday Life
• When a body expands or contracts, large forces
are produced, which may help us or cause us
problems.
Experiment 5: Strong forces of contraction
1. The steel rod was heated before it
is fixed in position by tightening the
nut.
2. The steel rod is then allows to cool
nut in the set-up.
iron bar 3. After some time, the iron bar
steel rod
breaks into two pieces.
 Problems caused by expansion
• Roads and pathways
o Too much expansion on
very hot days can cause
roads or pavements to
crack, or tile to pop out.
o To solve this problem,
the tiles on pavements
and walls are laid with
expansion gaps.
 Problems caused by expansion
• MRT and railway
tracks
o Railway tracks can
warp due to expansion.
o Hence, gaps are
present in the tracks to
allow them to expand.

expansion gap
 Problems caused by expansion
• Bridges and metal girders
o Bridges and metal girders on buildings have expansion
gaps or a free end resting on rollers to allow for
expansion.
o This will avoid them from being damaged in very hot
weather.
allowance for expansion
 Problems caused by expansion
• Water pipes
o Water pipes and pipelines can expand during
hot weather, and may burst.
o Expansion bends are made in this pipes to
allow them to expand without any damage.
 Problems caused by expansion
• Telephone wires and cables
o Telephone wires and cables raised on poles
contract in cold weather and become taut.
They may even snap.
o To prevent this, they are strung loosely from
pole to pole to allow for contraction.
 Problems caused by expansion
• Laboratory glassware
o If boiling water is poured into a thick glass, the glass
is likely to crack due to the uneven expansion of the
glass.
o Most of the glassware found in the home and in the
laboratory are made of a special type of glass.
o Unlike ordinary glassware, this special glassware is
less likely to crack when in contact with hot liquids
because they expand very little when heated.
 Uses of expansion
• Metal tyres
o A metal tyre can be heated up to fit over a
wooden wheel.
o When the tyre cools, it clings on very tightly to
the rim of the wheel.

hot metal tyre

heat
wooden wheel wooden
with metal tyre wheel
 Uses of expansion
• Rivets
o Rivets are used to join steel plates and
girders.

2.3.ItThe
is then
contraction
hammered on cooling
into a head,
helpsand
to pull
allowed
the
1. When red-hot, the rivet is put into position.
to cool.
steel plates together.
 Uses of expansion
• If we rivet a strip of brass and a strip of
steel together, we have what is called a
bimetallic strip.
rivets

rivets steel
 Uses of expansion
• The brass expands more than the steel
when heated. Thus, when heated, the strip
bends with the brass on the outside of the
curve.

brass

steel
heated
 Uses of expansion
• When cooled, the brass contracts more
than the steel. Thus, the strip bends with
the steel on the outside of the curve.

brass

steel

chilled
 Uses of bimetallic strips
• Thermostat
o A thermostat keeps temperature constant.
o Found in ovens and refrigerators to keep the
temperature hot and cold respectively.

In
Inaarefrigerator:
oven: Heating Cooling
takes
takes
placeplace
whenwhen the is
the current
current
on. Whenis on.
theWhen the
temperature
temperatureisistoo
toocold,
hot, the
strip bends
the strip awayaway
bends to break
to
the contact.
break the contact.
 Uses of bimetallic strips
• Bimetallic thermometer
o A bimetallic strip can be
made into a long, nearly flat
coil.
o It has one end fixed and the
other carries a pointer.
o The coil tightens or unwinds
as the temperature goes up
and down.
o The pointer then moves
over a scale marked in
temperature degrees.
 Miscellaneous
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_expansion
• http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/units-conver
ter/thermal-expansion/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_joint
• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ther
mo/bimet.html
• http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-thermostat
.htm