thermal expansion
Heat increases size
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to increase in volume when heated.
As temperature rises, atoms and molecules move more vigorously, pushing apart from each other.
Engineers account for thermal expansion when designing bridges, railroad tracks, and pipelines—gaps and joints allow materials to expand without buckling.
The opposite process is thermal contraction.
Measured heat intensity
- kinetic energyPower from movement
- molecular motionMovement of particles
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- heat transferMovement of thermal energy
thermodynamics · specific heat · phase change · energy absorption · heat capacity · conduction
Number multiplying a variable
- elongationIncrease in length
- contractionReduction in size
- dilatationEnlargement of an opening
- shrinkageDecrease in size
Structures spanning obstacles
- pavementHard road covering
- railroadsTrain transportation systems
- jointsSkeletal connection points
- bucklingBending from compression
pipelines · buildings · roads · culverts · dams · overpasses · tunnels · viaducts
Excessive stretching force
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- tensionStretched or strained state
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- deformationChange in shape
elasticity · fatigue · creep · fracture · deflection · distortion · yielding · stiffness
temperature
Measured heat intensity
- kinetic energyPower from movement
- molecular motionMovement of particles
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
heat transfer · thermodynamics · specific heat · phase change · energy absorption · heat capacity · conduction
coefficient
Number multiplying a variable
- elongationIncrease in length
- contractionReduction in size
- dilatationEnlargement of an opening
bridges
Structures spanning obstacles
buckling · pipelines · buildings · roads · culverts · dams · overpasses · tunnels · viaducts · finger joints
strain
Excessive stretching force
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- tensionStretched or strained state
- compressionForcing into smaller space
deformation · elasticity · fatigue · creep · fracture · deflection · distortion · yielding · stiffness · modulus
- climateclimate change, climate, weather, global warming, temperature
- physical phenomenadiffusion, collision, friction, explosion, surface tension
- heatheat transfer, heatwave, radiation, convection, insulators
- propiedadesmasa, peso, color, brillo, hardness
- size changesenlarge, enlargement, shrink, shrinking, grow
- thermal processesheating, burning, cooling, boiling, melting