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Heat is caused by molecules vibrating and hitting one another. The hotter the air the more the molecules vibrate and the bigger space each molecule needs. This causes the air to expand and its density to fall.
As air cools, the vibrations slow down and the molecules need less room. This causes the air to contract and its density will go up.
Lottie Von
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoWhen something gets colder the atoms have less energy with which to maneuver and they come closer together eventually forming a solid. As you add heat the atoms are moving more and will take up more space in the process such as with a gas or liquid. Think of it as folding clothes. As you cool something its like folding clothes the same amount of material is present, but much less space is taken up. As you add heat its like unfolding the clothes. The same amount of material is there but they take up much more space.
As an interesting fact, water is a exception to this rule. As water becomes cooler is it contracts until the molecules begin to form a crystal patter. The unique thing about water is that when it forms this crystal the molecules are forced apart causing the ice to expand. The expanded ice allows for the amount of frozen water to actually take up more space than the liquid water. If it was not for this fact ice would actually sink in water instead of floating on the surface. If water did not have this property then life on Earth would be impossible.
So in conclusion all substances (except for water) contract when cooled because the atoms are being forced together until they form a solid. When the they are heated the atoms spread apart until they form a liquid, and then a gas.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoIt is heat that makes stuff expand. We call the change thermal expansion in physics.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agocold makes things contract because the molecules come closer together and heat makes them go farther apart
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIce can make things colder, and cold causes most materials to contract.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoMost things contract as they get colder though there are some exceptions. Water, for instance, expands as it freezes to ice.
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How do you make metal contract?
They expand ------- No, normally metals expand when heated.
Why did they make a refrigerator?
to keep all the cold or frozen things nice and cold
Why do hot beakers crack in cold wale?
im assuming you meant to type water... this happens because heat makes things expand, whilst cold makes things contract. by putting a hot beaker in cold water, you put too much strain on the beaker because it is changing size so fast
Does gold expand under hot or cold water?
Heat causes expansion.
Why fingers expand in heat and contract in cold?
They expand in heat to allow blood to reach the extremities to be cooled.. Exactly the opposite is true when there cold.. Blood is drawn away from the extremities to help keep vital organs warmer.
Why do things shrink when it is cold?
Because most things, such as metals, expand when hot. So cold does the opposite.
How do you make metal contract?
They expand ------- No, normally metals expand when heated.
Why does water expand when cold?
Water expands when it is cold because the water molecules found in water expand in the cold.
Why do hot atoms move colder than warm atoms?
Because heat makes things expand, and cold makes things contract.("'\(o.o)/"')
How does a freezer make things cold?
the gasses and CO2 make the food and objects cold
How do you make your conkers shiny?
YOU polish it but don't keep it in a warm or cold just middle tempretaure because if it gets cold it would expand or warm would make it unravel
What is the scientific law of expand and contrast?
Expand- Hot Contrast- Cold
Why did they make a refrigerator?
to keep all the cold or frozen things nice and cold
Does sprite explode when cold why or why not?
when liquids freeze they expand so if you freeze anything in a full can or bottle it will have no space in which to expand and hence the can or bottle will explode. If you're freezing anything you should make sure there is space in the top of the container for it to expand.
Explain how a cold winter can damage road surfaces?
hot sunny days followed by cold nights make rocks to expand and contract so much that they eventually shatters
When things get bigger you say they contract converge or expand?
They expand.
What do things do when they get warm?
They expand
