IV.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Lo To Lf Tf ∆L ∆T
Specimen (cm) (°C) (cm) (°C) (cm) (°C)

Brass 35cm 22.4°C 34.95cm 100°C 0.049cm 77.6°C

Copper 35cm 26.1°C 34.95cm 100°C 0.045cm 73.6°C

Aluminum 35cm 26.4°C 34.95cm 100°C 0.047cm 73.6°C

Specimen αexperimental αtheoretical Percentage

Error

Brass 1.8 x 10-5 1.9 x 10-5 5.26%

Copper 1.7 x 10-5 1.7 x 10-5 0%

Aluminum 1.8 x 10-5 2.3 x 10-5 21.74%

Using the formula

𝐿𝑓−𝐿𝑜 ∆L
α= = ∆L ∆T
𝐿𝑜(𝑇𝑓−𝑇𝑜) 𝐿𝑜(∆T)

Brass ∆L= Lf – Lo = 0.049 = 77.6°C

Copper ∆L = Lf – Lo =0.045 = 73.6°C

Aluminum ∆L = Lf – Lo =0.047 =73.6°C

We have received certain percentage error between theoretical results from

experimental. There are metals that have expanded and some have contracted.

There is also metal that didn’t have any changes at all.

V. CONCLUSION:

Based on the data that we gathered from the experiment on obtaining the

coefficient of the linear expansion of brass, copper and aluminum, we have

observed that there is contraction instead of expansion.

Thermal expansion was generally defined as the increase in the volume

of a material as its temperature which is increased that is usually expressed as a

fractional change in length or volume per unit temperature change; a linear

expansion coefficient is usually for the expansion of a solid, while a volume

expansion is for a liquid or a gas. Correlating this to the experiment, the

materials having a change in temperature will have a corresponding change in a

particular dimension which is length for this experiment. The expansion of a

material depends on the value of its coefficient of linear expansion; wherein

higher the coefficient of linear expansion is, the more it will expand and with

that it can be considered that these two are directly proportional. From the data
gathered, aluminum has greater change in length than copper. So therefore, we

can conclude that an object with greater coefficient of linear expansion will

have the greater change in length as well. Aside from the coefficient of linear

expansion, there are other factors that affect the change in length of a material in

thermal expansion and these are the initial length of the body and the change in

the temperature. All these three factors are directly proportional to the change in

length of the material and an increase in value to these would correspond to a

change in length wherein it will also increase.