Question

The expansion produced in matter due to absorption of heat energy is called _____.

Answer 1

To understand the solution, we need to look at the dynamics of the heating of a matter and what are the changes for different states of matter and what are the end results.

Complete answer:
When we look at the dynamics of a matter when it is heated, we can see that the molecules of the matter start to vibrate and loosen up and eventually change their state according to their melting point and boiling point. But when it comes to the various forms of matter, there is various matter which changes from the solid-state to the gaseous state by skipping the liquid state.

The vibrations of the molecules after absorbing the heat energy results in the matter expanding along with the change in state. The bonds become so weak that they refuse to take any shape. It is clearly visible in the fact that solids expand and turn to liquid and when liquid is heated, they expand and turn to the gaseous state.

So to define the phenomenon where a matter changes its shape, size, density and volume along with its state as a response to the changing temperature through which they gain heat energy, we address this procedure as the thermal expansion.

Therefore, the expansion produced in matter due to the absorption of heat energy is called thermal expansion.

Note: The expansions vary for different states of matter, that is, when the matter is in solid-state and they absorb the heat energy, it expands the least and in the case of liquid it expands more than solid but gases expands the most.