Question

A steel aircraft carrier is 371 m long when moving through the icy North Atlantic at a temperature of 2.5° C. By how much does the carrier lengthen when it is traveling in the warm Mediterranean Sea at a temperature of 20° C?

Answer 1

The carrier lengthen by 7.79 × 10⁻² m when it is traveling in the warm Mediterranean Sea at a temperature of 20° C

Step-by-step explanation:

The initial length of steel (
`L_0`) = 371 m

The change in length = ΔL

The change in temperature (ΔT) = 20°C - 2.5°C = 17.5°C

The coefficient of linear expansion of steel (α) = 12 × 10⁻⁶ ⁰C⁻¹

ΔL = αL₀ΔT = 371 × 17.5 × 12 × 10⁻⁶ = 7.79 × 10⁻² m

The carrier lengthen by 7.79 × 10⁻² m when it is traveling in the warm Mediterranean Sea at a temperature of 20° C