Thermal (radial) expansion of a ring 6

[packdad]

How do you calculate the radial thermal expansion (or contraction) of a ring? For example, if you had a spool piece that was not constrained in any way, and you applied heat, how would you calculate the new ID and OD? Is it as simple as the original ID or OD times the thermal coefficient times the change in temperature? Logically, it seems like it would be this simple, but then I think there might be more to this than I realize, so I'd better double check. I can't find a similar example in any of my books so far, which seems odd.

 

[packdad]

There are some good responses here, and some good thought experiments and analogies. Thanks.

Sorry for not finding the previous thread - I don't know why I didn't notice that in my original search.

 

[swmann]

This may be a bit late but here is a link regarding the confusion on thermal expansion.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/thexp2.html#c2

 

[bjpil]

Here is another analogy. If I fill a ballon with air at a certain temperature, volume, and pressure, i.e. PV=nRT. If I change the temperature and hold the pressure the same then volume must change.

BJP