Mechanics of Materials

Lesson 07

Thermal Effects

Learning outcomes

This Course:
    1. Explain what happens to solid materials when they are heated or cooled.
    2. State the material property related to thermal expansion (and contraction) and explain its units.
    3. Explain the difference between volumetric thermal and linear thermal deformations.
    4. Compute thermal stress, strain, and deformation for constrained and unconstrained structures.

In-Class Notes

LE07 Thermal Effects.pdf

Homework

HW07 Thermal Effects.pdf

Resources

Mini-flipbook:

Use the arrows to make the support rock left and right due to thermal expansion.

For a temperature increase, which way does the rocker rock?

What about a temperature decrease?

Mini-flipbook:

What happens when you heat up a solid with holes in it? 

Do the holes get smaller or larger? 

The trick is to think about a linear fiber of material that circumscribes the hole.

If you increase the temperature, then the thermal deformation increases the length of each fiber, including the arc length of the curved fiber.