Thermal Expansion of Solids and Expansion Gaps in Bridges

This video is only a very small part of Liacos Educational Media's excellent 6-part Shedding Light on Heat series which teaches students everything that they need to know about heat, including its effect on things and how it transfers from one thing to another.
Go to our website to access the worksheets and a whole lot more content on the topics of Chemistry, Motion, Energy, Electricity, Light, Heat, and Climate Science.

In Episode 3 of the Shedding Light on Heat series, Thermal Expansion, we look at the fact that substances expand when they get hot and contract when they get cold and we explain why they do. We look at how thermal expansion can be a real nuisance, but also how we can put thermal expansion to good use for the good of the world!

Contents:
Part A: Introduction. Things expand when they get hot.
Part B: Expansion and Contraction in Solids: Steel and concrete expand when they get hot, so all large buildings and bridges have to be designed to allow for the expansion. But what causes thermal expansion?
Part C: Thermal Expansion in Liquids and Gases: Thermal expansion of liquids and gases gives us thermometers and, indirectly, electricity!
Part D: Water: An Important Exception*. *Conditions Apply: Water pipes often burst in really cold weather because water doesn’t follow the same rules as most other substances. However, if it did follow the same rules, winter would bring unimaginable destruction to aquatic life.

Credit Notice:
The Shedding Light on Heat series makes use of the brilliant simulations created by
PhET Interactive Simulations
University of Colorado Boulder

[nicholascole]

Thanks! Helped me explain thermal expansion to my son

[warriorsin]

Great video Really Helped with Studying

[MoodyMooMoo]

Really clear and interesting. Thank you