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For Students · Thermal Expansion

Thermal Expansion for a plastic bottle

Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a plastic bottle live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Thermal ExpansionLive

materials grow with heat

Controls

Presets

Original length (m)

Temperature change (°C)

Heat a material and it expands: ΔL = α·L·ΔT, where α is the coefficient of linear expansion. Area grows at twice that rate and volume at three times. It is why bridges have expansion joints, why rails buckle in heat, and why Invar — with almost zero expansion — is prized for precision instruments.

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Data Inspector

α23 µm/m·°C

Length change11.5 mm

Area change0.230 m²

Volume change3.450 m³

Governing equation

Δ L = α L_{0} Δ T = (23 \times 1 0^{- 6}) (10) (50) = 11.5 mm

Reading this result: Heating 10 m of Aluminum by 50°C stretches it about 11.5 mm; area and volume grow 2× and 3× as fast.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for students?: Yes — this version of "Thermal Expansion for a plastic bottle" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.