By how much will a slab of concrete 18. m long contract when the temperature drops from 24.° C to -16.° C? (The coefficient of linear thermal expansion for concrete is 12 × 10^-6 per degree C.) A) 70. mm B) 1.5 cm C) 15. cm D) 0.5 cm E) 0.86 cm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The contraction of the slab can be calculated using the formula for linear expansion/contraction: ΔL = αL₀ΔT, where ΔL is the change in length, α is the coefficient of linear expansion, L₀ is the original length, and ΔT is the change in temperature. Here, α = 12 × 10^-6 /°C, L₀ = 18 m (1800 cm to match units with the final answer options), and ΔT = -16°C - 24°C = -40°C. Plugging these values in gives ΔL = 12 × 10^-6 × 1800 × (-40) = -0.864 cm, which rounds to -0.86 cm, indicating a contraction.

By How Much Will a Slab of Concrete 18