Final answer:
The maximum difference in track widths can be determined by considering the expansion of the steel railroad rails due to temperature changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum difference in the track widths can be determined by considering the expansion of the steel railroad rails due to temperature changes. The formula for calculating the expansion is:
Expansion = Original Length x Coefficient of Linear Expansion x Change in Temperature
In this case, the maximum temperature change is 35.0°C greater than the temperature when the rails were laid. To find the maximum difference in track widths, we need the coefficient of linear expansion for steel and the original length of the rails.
Once we have these values, we can plug them into the formula to find the expansion. The maximum difference in track widths will be equal to twice the expansion, since the rails will expand in width from both sides.