Final answer:
The measurement of a land parcel with a steel tape measure that has expanded due to an increase in temperature would not affect the total price because the actual physical dimensions of the land remain unchanged.
Step-by-step explanation:
We are tasked with calculating the potential difference in the total price of a parcel of land in Hong Kong when measured with a steel tape that has expanded due to an increase in temperature. This problem applies the concept of linear thermal expansion of materials, which comes under the scope of physics. The formula used to calculate the change in length (ΔL) due to thermal expansion is ΔL = αLoΔ1, where α is the coefficient of linear expansion, Lo is the original length, and Δ1 is the change in temperature.
First, we will determine the change in length for one side of the land. Using the given average coefficient of linear expansion for steel, α = 11 x 10⁻¶ °C⁻¹, and the temperature change, Δ1 = 20°C, we can calculate the new length of the tape measure:
ΔL = (11 x 10⁻¶ °C⁻¹)(20 m)(20 °C) = 4.4 x 10⁻³ m
Applying this change in length to the given dimensions of the land (20 m × 30 m), we then find the apparent 'new' dimensions when measured with the expanded tape measure. However, since the dimensions of the land do not actually change and only the measurement is affected, there would be no real change in the total price of the land due to the unchanged physical dimensions of the property.
Therefore, despite the expansion of the steel tape measure, the total price for the parcel would remain the same because the physical dimensions of the land are unchanged.