What is Thermal Expansion & Contraction ? :: āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ




1. Definition / āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž

i. Thermal Expansion (āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ) : Increase in size on heating. (āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĨ¤)


ii. Contraction (āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ) : Decrease in size on cooling. (āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻ•āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¯ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĨ¤)



2. Cause / āĻ•āĻžā§°āĻŖ

i. Thermal Expansion: Caused by rise in temperature. (āωāĻˇā§āĻŖāϤāĻž āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĨ¤)


ii. ContractionCaused by fall in temperature. (āωāĻˇā§āĻŖāϤāĻž āĻšā§ā§°āĻžāϏ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĨ¤)

 

3. Size Change / āφāĻ•āĻžā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻŋā§ąāĻ°ā§āϤāύ :

 

i. Thermal Expansion: Length, area, or volume increases. (āĻĻā§ˆā§°ā§āĻ˜ā§āϝ, āĻ•ā§āώ⧇āĻ¤ā§ā§°āĻĢāϞ āĻŦāĻž āφāϝāĻŧāϤāύ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)

 

ii. Contraction: Length, area, or volume decreases. (āĻĻā§ˆā§°ā§āĻ˜ā§āϝ, āĻ•ā§āώ⧇āĻ¤ā§ā§°āĻĢāϞ āĻŦāĻž āφāϝāĻŧāϤāύ āĻšā§ā§°āĻžāϏ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)

 

4. Particle Spacing / āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻĻā§‚ā§°āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ

i. Thermal Expansion: Particles move farther apart. (āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāĻŦā§‹ā§° āĻĻā§‚ā§°āϞ⧈ āϏ⧰āĻŋ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)



ii. Contraction Particles come closer together.(āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāĻŦā§‹ā§° āĻ“āϚ⧰ āϚāĻžāĻĒāĻŋ āφāĻšā§‡āĨ¤)

 

5. Example / āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ

i. Thermal Expansion: Railway tracks expand in summer. (āĻ—ā§°āĻŽāĻ•āĻžāϞāϤ ⧰⧇āϞāϞāĻžāχāύ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


ii. ContractionMetal objects shrink on cooling. (āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āϧāĻžāϤāĻŦ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧁āϚāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


iii.Thermal Expansion āĻĒā§ā§°āĻ­āĻžā§ą: Gaps are left in bridges and rails. (āĻŦā§ā§°ā§€āϜ āφ⧰⧁ ⧰⧇āϞāϞāĻžāχāύāϤ āĻĢāĻžāρāĻ• āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


Contraction: Wires become tighter in winter. (āĻļā§€āϤāĻ•āĻžāϞāϤ āϤāĻžāρ⧰ āϟāĻžāύ āϟāĻžāύ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)

 

7. Use / āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°: Thermal Expansion: Used in thermometers. (āĻĨāĻžā§°ā§āĻŽā§‹āĻŽāĻŋāϟāĻžā§°āϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)Contraction: Used in shrink fitting. (āĻļā§ā§°āĻŋāĻ‚āĻ• āĻĢāĻŋāϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)

 

Main Difference / āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§āϝ āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻ•ā§āϝ: i. Thermal Expansion → Size increases on heating
ii. āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ → āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ  iii. Contraction → Size decreases on cooling iv. āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ → āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻšā§ā§°āĻžāϏ

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MCQ on Thermal Expansion vs Contraction (āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āφ⧰⧁ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ⧰ āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϤ MCQ)


1. Thermal expansion means: (ā§§. āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋ ?)

(a) Decrease in size on heating  (b) Increase in size on heating 
(c) Increase in size on cooling  (d) Change in colour


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (b) Increase in size on heating


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: When an object is heated, its size increases. This is called thermal expansion. (āϕ⧋āύ⧋ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āχāϝāĻŧāĻžā§° āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āχāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻ• āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻ•ā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


2. Contraction occurs due to: (⧍. āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āϘāĻŸā§‡ ?)

(a) Rise in temperature  (b) Heating only  (c) Fall in temperature  (d) Increase in pressure


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (c) Fall in temperature


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Objects contract when temperature decreases. (āωāĻˇā§āĻŖāϤāĻž āĻ•āĻŽāĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧁āϚāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


3. During thermal expansion, particles move: (ā§Š. āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖā§° āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϤ āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāĻŦā§‹ā§° āϕ⧇āύ⧇āĻ•ā§ˆ āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āϕ⧰⧇ ?)

(a) Closer together  (b) Farther apart  (c) Stop moving  (d) Downward only


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (b) Farther apart


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Heating increases particle spacing. (āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāĻŦā§‹ā§°ā§° āĻŽāĻžāϜ⧰ āĻĻā§‚ā§°āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


4. Railway tracks are provided with gaps because of: (ā§Ē. ⧰⧇āϞāϞāĻžāχāύāϤ āĻĢāĻžāρāĻ• āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ ?)

(a) Reflection  (b) Expansion on heating  (c) Magnetism  (d) Cooling effect


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (b) Expansion on heating


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Railway tracks expand in summer, so gaps prevent bending. (āĻ—ā§°āĻŽāϤ ⧰⧇āϞāϞāĻžāχāύ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āύāĻš’āĻŦāϞ⧈ āĻĢāĻžāρāĻ• ā§°āĻ–āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


5. Which of the following is an example of contraction ? (ā§Ģ. āϤāϞ⧰ āϕ⧋āύāĻŸā§‹ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ⧰ āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ ?)

(a) Expansion of rails  (b) Melting of ice   (c) Tightening of wires in winter   (d) Boiling water


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (c) Tightening of wires in winter


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Cold weather causes wires to contract and become tight. (āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻžāϤ āϤāĻžāρ⧰ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧁āϚāĻŋāϤ āĻšā§ˆ āϟāĻžāύ āϟāĻžāύ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


6. Thermal expansion is mainly caused by: (ā§Ŧ. āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻŽā§‚āϞāϤāσ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?)

(a) Cooling  (b) Rise in temperature  (c) Freezing  (d) Pressure decrease


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (b) Rise in temperature


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Heating increases kinetic energy and particle spacing. (āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ•āĻŖāĻŋāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āφ⧰⧁ āĻĻā§‚ā§°āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


7. Which instrument uses thermal expansion ? (ā§­. āϕ⧋āύ āϝāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§ā§°āϤ āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āϕ⧰āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?)

(a) Thermometer  (b) Compass  (c) Microscope   (d) Telescope


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (a) Thermometer


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Thermometers work due to expansion of liquids like mercury or alcohol. (āĻĨāĻžā§°ā§āĻŽā§‹āĻŽāĻŋāϟāĻžā§° āϤ⧰āϞ⧰ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖā§° āύ⧀āϤāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āĻžāĻŽ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤)


8. On cooling, the volume of most substances: (ā§Ž. āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ…āϧāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāĻ‚āĻļ āĻĒāĻĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨā§° āφāϝāĻŧāϤāύ -)

(a) Increases  (b) Remains same  (c) Decreases  (d) Doubles


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (c) Decreases


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Cooling causes contraction, reducing volume. (āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧋āϚāύ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āφ⧰⧁ āφāϝāĻŧāϤāύ āĻ•āĻŽā§‡āĨ¤)


9. Shrink fitting is based on: (⧝. āĻļā§ā§°āĻŋāĻ‚āĻ• āĻĢāĻŋāϟāĻŋāĻ‚ āϕ⧋āύ āύ⧀āϤāĻŋāϤ āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋ āϕ⧰āĻŋ āϕ⧰āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?)

(a) Reflection  (b) Contraction  (c) Refraction  (d) Magnetism


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (b) Contraction


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Objects are cooled to contract and fit tightly. (āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āϕ⧰āĻŋ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧁āϚāĻŋāϤ āϕ⧰āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϝāĻžāϤ⧇ āϟāĻžāχāϟāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻĢāĻŋāϟ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)


10. Which statement is correct ? (ā§§ā§Ļ. āϕ⧋āύāĻŸā§‹ āĻŦāĻžāĻ•ā§āϝ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• ?)

(a) Heating causes contraction  (b) Cooling causes expansion
(c) Thermal expansion increases size  (d) Contraction increases volume


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: (c) Thermal expansion increases size


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Thermal expansion means increase in size due to heating. (āϤāĻžāĻĒā§€āϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϏāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āϕ⧰āĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āφāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĨ¤)