Linear Expansion Question

Question

What is the minimum allowance for expansion in the construction of a modern steel bridge that is exactly 1.6 km long, if the temperatures will range from -40.0°C to 40.0°C? Give your answer in meters.

Answer 1

ΔL/L = αΔT is the equation for linear expansion for small changes. Since the expansion coefficient is about 13 mm/K for steel, this is reasonable.

Solve for ΔL given L(in meters), α (in meters/K) and ΔT (the range of °C)