Why does metal expands more than any other metal?

Answer 1

1. • Recall that all materials are made up of atoms. At any temperature abov
   • at very h
   • e absolute zero (-273
   • degrees meat) the atoms will be moving. In a solid they will be vibrating in fixed positions, in a liquid thy will be jostling past each other and in a gas they will be whizzing past each other igh speeds. When a material is heated, the kinetic energy of that material incre
   and molecules move about more. This means that
2. each atom will take up more space due to it's movement so the material will expand. When it is cold the kinetic energy decreases, so the atoms take up less space and the material contracts.

Some metals expand more than others due to differences in the forces between the atoms / molecules. In metals such as iron the forces between the atoms are stronger so it is more difficult for the atoms to move around . In brass the forces are a little weaker so the atoms are free to move about more. These differences in contraction are used in a bimetallic strip, which is composed of a strip of brass laid along side strip of Iron. When the strip is heated the brass expands more than the iron so the strip beds. It is used in devics such as fire alarms and circuit breakers to either make or break contacts in an electric circuit.

The differences in expansion and contraction are even more visible in different states, again due to the amount of force holding the atoms together. A gas will expand the most as its atoms are free from each other so are free to increase in speed the most.

Answered by: Sara Al-Assam, Student, Tiffin Girls' School, Kingston

Answer 2

Nearly all materials expand as temperatures rise, due to increased particle movement within the material. Steam and lava are extreme examples of particle movement due to a rise in temperature.

There are few exceptions to this rule. Water, for example, expands when frozen because chemical bonds increase its volume.

Answer 3

Well I actually don't understand the question but I think you mean. Why do some Metals expand more than other metals Or What is the most expanding metal that expands more than others?

Well to the first question

It is to do with how many electrons it has and how readily they can form bonds.

For example, in Group 1, the reactivity increases as you go down the group. This is because these metals react by losing electrons, as you go down a group, the atoms get larger and the distance between the outer electron and the nucleus is larger. Therefore, the attraction between the nucleus and the electron is less and it can be lost or shared more easily to form a bond as you go down the group.

The opposite applies to group 7 halogens. They react by gaining electrons, as the atoms are smaller at the top of the group, Fl is the most reactive halogen. This is because Fl's outer shell is closest to its nucleus than all the other halogens, so there is most electrostatic attraction between the nucleus and the outer most shell. This enables Fl to accept electrons easily and react with virtually any other element.

To the second question

Recall that all materials are made up of atoms. At any temperature above absolute zero (-273 degrees celsius) the atoms will be moving. In a solid they will be vibrating in fixed positions, in a liquid thy will be jostling past each other and in a gas they will be whizzing past each other at very high speeds. When a material is heated, the kinetic energy of that material increases and it's atoms and molecules move about more. This means that each atom will take up more space due to it's movement so the material will expand. When it is cold the kinetic energy decreases, so the atoms take up less space and the material contracts.

Some metals expand more than others due to differences in the forces between the atoms / molecules. In metals such as iron the forces between the atoms are stronger so it is more difficult for the atoms to move around . In brass the forces are a little weaker so the atoms are free to move about more. These differences in contraction are used in a bimetallic strip, which is composed of a strip of brass laid along side strip of Iron. When the strip is heated the brass expands more than the iron so the strip beds. It is used in devics such as fire alarms and circuit breakers to either make or break contacts in an electric circuit.

The differences in expansion and contraction are even more visible in different states, again due to the amount of force holding the atoms together. A gas will expand the most as its atoms are free from each other so are free to increase in speed the most.

But that does not really answer the question the exact answer is:

Well I am actually not sure but i think it is aluminium.

Answ2. Mercury seems well ahead of the field with Lead in 2nd place. Linear coefficient Hg 61, Pb 29. But that is not comparing apples with apples, as mercury is already liquid, whereas lead is not.

Answer 4

The temperature is nothing more than the expression of the degree of agitation of the particles or molecules of a substance. When a solid is given heat, its molecules are being energized; these, stimulated, vibrate more energetically.

It is true that they do not vary in volume; but a larger space is made for its greater oscillation, so that by increasing the distance between molecule and molecule the solid ends up dilating. The force that is exerted in these cases is enormous.

Answer 5

Not just metals - with a few minor exceptions (such as water, between 0°C and 4°C), just about ANY material expands when heated. The reason has to do with atoms and molecules móving faster, at higher temperatures.

Answer 6

Temperature is a measure of the thermodynamic energy in substances. It is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules of the material and so, as temperature increases the molecules vibrate more vigorously. With a few exceptions and only over a narrow range of temperature (eg water between 0 and 4 deg C) the increase in kinetic energy results in a greater average separation of molecules - which is expansion.

Answer 7

Because the thermal expansion coefficient is differne for each material. And this coefficient depends on bonding energy.