Suppose you cut a small gap in a metal ring
(Figure A). If you heat the ring, will the gap
become wider o r narrower
Wider. All linear dimensions (including the gap) increase by the same ratio.
When a metal ring is heated, it expands due to thermal expansion. This means that the particles within the metal move apart from each other, resulting in an increase in the size of the ring.
In the case of a small gap cut in the metal ring, the gap will behave similarly to the rest of the ring when it is heated. Therefore, the gap will also expand, becoming wider as the ring expands.
So, if you heat the metal ring, the gap will become wider.
To understand whether the gap in a metal ring will become wider or narrower when the ring is heated, we need to consider the behavior of metal when it is heated.
When metal is heated, its overall volume typically expands due to the increase in kinetic energy of its atoms and molecules. This expansion occurs uniformly in all directions, including both lengthwise and widthwise.
Now, coming back to the metal ring with a small gap. When the ring is heated, the entire ring, including the gap area, will expand uniformly. As a result, the circumference of the ring will increase, causing the gap to become wider. This happens because the gap, being a part of the ring, will also experience the expansion of the material.
Therefore, when you heat a metal ring with a small gap, the gap will become wider.