The coefficient of linear expansion is a physical constant that measures how much a material’s length changes with a change in temperature.
More specifically:
- It tells you how much a unit length of a material expands or contracts per degree change in temperature.
- It is usually denoted by the Greek letter α (alpha).
- Its unit is typically per degree Celsius (°C⁻¹) or per kelvin (K⁻¹) since the size change is proportional to the temperature change.
The formula that relates length change to temperature change is:
ΔL=αL0ΔT\Delta L = \alpha L_0 \Delta T
where:
- ΔL\Delta L = change in length
- L0L_0 = original length
- ΔT\Delta T = change in temperature
- α\alpha = coefficient of linear expansion
