Engineering

Dilatation thermique

Définition

La dilatation thermique est la tendance de la matière à modifier son volume en réponse aux changements de température, caractérisée par le coefficient de dilatation thermique (CTE), mesuré en unités de 1/°C ou 1/K.

Explication

Steel expands about 12x10⁻⁶ per °C; a 100-meter steel bridge lengthens roughly 12 mm over a 100°C temperature swing. Engineers account for this with expansion joints in bridges, rail gaps, and building facades. Invar (an iron-nickel alloy) has a CTE near zero (1.2x10⁻⁶/°C), making it invaluable for precision instruments and telescope mirrors.

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