Examples
1. Find the linear expansivity of a rod of length 800mm, that was found to expand by
1.36mm when heated from 15oC to100oC?
Solution
L1 = 800mm, ΔL = 1.36mm, θ1 =15oC, θ2 = 100oC, α =?
ΔL 1.36 1.36 1.36
α= = = = = 0.00002K-1
L1(θ 2−θ 1) 800(100−15) 800 x 85 68000
α = 2 x 10-5K-1
2. The pressure of air in a tyre is 22.5Nm-2 at 27oC, what is the new pressure of the air, when
heated up to 47oC, neglecting the change in volume and assuming no air leakage?
Solution
P1 =22.5Nm-2, T1 =27oC +273K = 300K, T2 = 47oC + 273K = 320K, P2 =?
P1 P2 P1T 2 22.5 x 320
= , P2 = ,= = 24.0 Nm-2
T1 T2 T1 300
3. When the pressure of a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature is doubled, what will
the volume be?
Solution
P1 = 1, P2 =2, V1 = 1, V2 =?
P1V1 = P2V2
P1V 1 1x 1
V2 = = = 0.5cm3
P2 2
4. A volume of 20cm3 air was trapped in a tube at 27oC. Find the length of the column at a
temperature of 100oC, assume pressure to be constant?
Solution
V1 = 20cm3, T1 =27oC +273K = 300K, T2 = 100oC + 273K = 373K, V2 =?
V1 V 2 V 1T 2 20 x 373
= , V2 = ,= = 24.87 cm3
T 1 T2 T1 300
5. 200g of water at 90oC is mixed with 100g of water at 30oC, what is the final temperature?
Solution
m1 =200g, θ2 = 90oC, T =?, m2 =100g, θ1 = 30oC
m1 c 1 θ 1+m2 c 2θ 2 200 x 90+100 x 70 18000+3000 21000
T= = = = = 70oC
m 1 c 1+m2 c 2 200+100 300 300
6. Calculate the amount of heat required to change 3g of ice at 0oC to steam at 100oC. Take
(specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 336Jg-1, specific latent heat of vapourization of
steam = 2260Jg-1 and specific heat capacity of water = 4.2 Jg-1K-1).
Solution
Specific latent heat of fusion of ice = mlf = 336Jg-1
؞heat required to melt ice = mlf = 3 x 336Jg-1 = 1008J
Specific heat capacity of water, C = 4.2 Jg-1K-1
؞heat required to raise temperature of melted ice in water at 0oC to 100oC = mcΔθ
mcΔθ = 3 x 4.2 x 100 = 1260J
Specific latent heat of vapourization of water = L =2260J
؞heat required to vapourize water = mlv = 3g x 2260Jg-1 = 6780J
Heat required to change 3g of ice to steam: Q = mlf + mcΔθ + mlv = (1008 + 1260 +
6780)J
Q = 9048J
7. A heat marked 50W will evaporate 0.005kg of boiling water in 50 seconds. What is the
specific latent heat of vapourization in JKg-1?
Solution
Pt
Q = mlv , mlv =Pt, Lv =
m
P =50W, t = 50s, m = 0.005kg
50 x 50
Lv = = 5.0 x 105
0.005
8. A copper rod with heat capacity of 585J/K is heated until its temperature changes from 35 oC to
80oC. Calculate the quantity of heat supplied to the rod. Iflinear expansivity of the material of a
cube is 12x10-6K-1. If the length of each side is 10cm, find the area of one face of the cube and
the volume of the cube when its temperature is raised by 30K.
change ∈volume
Solution: cubic expansivity (ɣ) =
original volume x temperature rise
V 2−V 1
ɣ¿
V 1θ
where V2 = volume at temperature θ2
V1 = volume at temperature θ1
θ= θ2- θ1
ɣ=3α
V2 = V1 (1 + ɣθ)
where increase in volume = V2 - V1ɣθ
15.05 m – 15.01 m 0.04
A= , α= α = 0.000044K-1 α =¿ 4.4x10-5K-1
15.01 m x 60 K 900.60
Initial volume of the cube is L x B x H
V1 = 10cm x 10cm x 10cm = 1000cm3
ɣ = 3α = 3 x 12x10-6K-1
36 x 10-6K-1
V2 = V1 (1 + ɣθ) = 1000(1+36 x 10-6 x 30) cm3 = 1001.08cm3
Practice Questions
1. Calculate the heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1Kg of water from 20oC to
30oC
2. Calculate the final temperature when 10Kg of water at 100oC is mixed with 20Kg of
water at 40oC.
3. Determine the heat required to change 10g of ice at 0oc to water at 10oC.
4. Calculate the heat required to change 0.020Kg of ice at -10oC to water at 30oC.
5. A density bottle holds 250g of liquid at 30oC and only 248.5g at 60oC. Find (a) the apparent and
(b) the real cubic expansivity of the liquid, if the linear expansivity of the material of the bottle is
α g = 0.000006K-1
