I wish to know, if I raise water by 1 degree, how much % this water expands. At 20° but also at 100 degrees.
Asker: Ronnie, 43 years old
Answer
Dear Ronny,
How much the water expands is related to the concept of coefficient of expansion. You can find an explanation about this here:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uitstellingsco%C3%ABffici%C3%ABnt
The (volumetric) coefficient of expansion of water at 20 degrees Celsius is γ = 0.21 10-3/k
The unit Kelvin (symbol K) is the temperature in degrees Celsius to which you add 273.
This means that if the water increases by 1 degree (ΔT = 1 K), the relative volume change is ΔV/V = 2.1 ten-thousandths.
The water will therefore expand by 0.02% when the temperature rises from 20 to 21 degrees Celsius.
Kind regards,
Laurent Vanbeylen
Answered by
Laurent Vanbeylen
Free University of Brussels
Pleinlaan 2 1050 Ixelles
http://www.vub.ac.be/
Pleinlaan 2 1050 Ixelles
http://www.vub.ac.be/
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