Final answer:
While high temperatures can eventually cause rocks to melt, typically during the day rocks will expand due to the increase in kinetic energy at higher temperatures. This expansion can lead to issues like buckling roadways without sufficient expansion joints and snapping power lines if they lack the necessary slack. option a. melt is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
During high temperatures, rocks tend to expand. This expansion is due to the increase in kinetic energy that atoms and molecules have at higher temperatures, causing them to move more vigorously and occupy a larger volume. In a natural environment or construction setting, this thermal expansion can cause noticeable effects. For example, roadways may buckle if they don't have effective expansion joints to absorb the increased size of the heated materials. Similarly, power lines may sag more in the summer and snap in cold weather if not given enough slack to compensate for this expansion and contraction.
The concept of thermal expansion is a commonly observed phenomenon and can be illustrated through Figure 13.11, which demonstrates that objects expand in all directions as temperature increases. If rocks are under extreme temperatures, they may reach a melting point, but typically in daily temperature variances, they simply expand.
Relevant to this, the structural integrity of various materials can be put at risk during temperature fluctuations due to their thermal expansion coefficients, leading to possible damages in the likes of cracked glass cooking pans or nuclear reactor pressure vessels when cooled too quickly.
Understanding this concept is critical in various fields, such as engineering, geology, and environmental science. By knowing about thermal expansion, one can predict and mitigate the potential damage due to temperature changes. For instance, adding appropriate expansion joints in man-made structures or using materials with low thermal expansion coefficients like Pyrex® can help prevent damage.