Question

A hot glass full of hot water is put into the freezer. The glass breaks because it contracts more than the water as it cools. The reason for this is: A. the glass has a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than the water. B. the water has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than the glass. C. the glass has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than the water. D. the two have equal coefficients of linear expansion.

Answer 1

I believe it is because the glass has a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than the water. The glass undergoes thermal expansion and thus when it heats up, it expands and when it cools down it contracts. The inside and the outside of the glass does not reach an equilibrium temperature very quickly since the glass has a low thermal conductivity. The surface of the glass rapidly contracts while the inner surface is expanding which causes the glass to crack. 

Answer 2

C. the glass has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than the water.

Step-by-step explanation:

As we can see that in the given example hot water is poured in the glass beaker and put into the freezer

now when we placed the system into the freezer then in that case the water as well as the glass beaker will start contract.

Now if the rate of contraction of the water is less than the rate of contraction of the beaker then in that case the beaker will not get the sufficient space to fill it.

Due to this the deficiency of space may create the breaking of glass

so here correct answer should be

C. the glass has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than the water.