Home Physics Thermometry, Thermal Expansion and Calorimetry Thermal Expansion A brass disc fits in a hole in a steel plate…
Physics Thermometry, Thermal Expansion and Calorimetry Thermal Expansion Subjective Type
Published on: September 12, 2026

A brass disc fits in a hole in a steel plate. Would you heat or cool the system to loosen the disc from the hole? Assume that α s < α b .

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The correct answer is:
A
Step 1: Understand the symbols: Here, αs stands for the coefficient of linear expansion of steel and αb stands for the coefficient of linear expansion of brass. Given that αs < αb, this means brass expands more than steel when heated.
Step 2: When the brass disc is heated, it will expand more than the steel plate due to its higher thermal expansion coefficient. This increased expansion will create more space for the disc to fit into the steel plate's hole.
Step 3: Conversely, if we cooled the system, the brass disc would contract more than the steel plate, making it fit tighter in the hole.
Conclusion: To loosen the disc from the hole, we should heat the system. Therefore, the correct action is to heat the system.

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