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Example 10 (13.3) Calculating Linear Thermal Expansion: The Golden Gate Bridge

The main span of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is 1275 m long at its coldest. The bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from –15ºC to 40ºC . (a) What is its change in length between these temperatures? Assume that the bridge is made entirely of steel.

Strategy

Use the equation for linear thermal expansion to calculate the change in length , ΔL . Use the coefficient of linear expansion, α ,for steel from Table 13.2, and note that the change in temperature, ΔT , is 55ºC

Group
6. Thermal Expansion - Linear
ΔLchange in length (m)
aLcoefficient of linear expansion (K-1)
Lreference length measurement (m)
ΔTchange in temperature (K)
Variables...
  valueunitslink
ΔL
aL
L
ΔT
Group

(b) convert the change in temperature if Kelvin and Fahrenheit degrees. **
**this section is not included in the Reference material

3. Celsius <-> Kelvin
Ktemperature in Kelvin (dimensionless)
Ctemperature in Celsius (dimensionless)
Variables...
  valueunitslink
K
C
7. Celsius <-> Fahrenheit
Ftemperature in Fahrenheit (dimensionless)
Ctemperature in Celsius (dimensionless)
Variables...
  valueunitslink
F
C

Discussion

Although not large compared with the length of the bridge, this change in length is observable. It is generally spread over many expansion joints so that the expansion at each joint is small.

Reference : OpenStax College,College Physics. OpenStax College. 21 June 2012.
http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/college-physics
Creative Commons License : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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