How can you solve for the reaction force from thermal expansion?

Daily Dose 031 | Mechanics of Materials

How can you solve for the reaction force from thermal expansion?

Why would knowing the reaction force from thermal expansion be important to us as engineers?

Properly accounting for thermal effects in our engineering designs is important to ensure safe, efficient and reliable systems in practice.

If we fail to do so, the consequences could be determinantal.

From bridges collapsing to airplane turbines exploding, understanding how to properly account for thermal changes in our designs should be a top priority.

At Prepineer, we believe it’s important for all engineers to be well versed in thermal expansion, and so does the NCEES as you will see on the FE Exam.

In this video, we dive into an FE Exam Practice Problem from the subject MECHANICS OF MATERIALS, specifically revolving around THERMAL EXPANSION.

Key Definition

What is THERMAL EXPANSION?

As a solid material experiences an increase in temperature, the volume of the structure is ultimately impacted by increasing, this is better known as THERMAL EXPANSION.

This happens because when material is at standard conditions, the molecules are located in close proximity to one another…this contributes to the defined shape of the structure.

As temperature increases, the molecules begin to vibrate at a more rapid speed and push away from one another.

This increased separation between the individual atoms causes the solid to expand…increasing the volume of the structure.

So how can you solve for the reaction force from thermal expansion?

Check out the video and see how we can go about solving this type of problem in the most efficient manner.

As always, with Love, Prepineer

Video Review

How to solve for the reaction force from thermal expansion