Question

A brass rod 50.0 cm long expands 0.0734 cm when heated. Find the temperature change.

Using the equation Change in temp=change in length/original length * coefficient of linear expansion for brass I am getting the following result:

.0734 cm/(1.9x10^-5)(50 cm) = 193157.8947

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or how I convert my answer into Celsius degrees?

Thanks.

Answer 1

According to your formula, I get

∆T = ∆L/L * K

I assume that the coefficient is set up to produce °C or °K (which are really the same thing).

∆T = (.0734cm)/(50cm) * (1.9x10^-5) = 2.789x10^-8

Now, somehow that does not seem right. That would mean that K is just plain °C, which I doubt. Better check the formula, and the units on K, to see what else you need to include in the conversion.