Final answer:
The question addresses the concept of thermal expansion, which requires calculating an expansion gap for steel railroad rails based on a temperature increase.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the thermal expansion of steel railroad rails due to an increase in temperature. When steel is heated, it expands, which means an expansion gap must be left between sections of rail to prevent buckling as the temperature rises.
The size of the expansion gap can be calculated using the formula ∆L = αL₀∆T, where ∆L is the change in length, α is the coefficient of thermal expansion for steel, L₀ is the original length of the rail, and ∆T is the temperature change. For a maximum temperature increase of 35.0°C and an original rail length of 10.0 m, the calculation would provide the required expansion gap size.