As we mentioned earlier, at any given temperature, the metal atoms are at the strictly defined distance from each other. In other words, they carry in themselves a certain internal energy. Since the heat is one kind of energy, the internal energy of the metal increases with increasing temperature. This additional energy causes the increased amplitude of atomic vibrations, which in turn increases the interatomic distance. We can visually observe the effects of this additional energy, since as individual atoms move apart, the overall dimensions of the metal part increase. On the contrary, any decrease in the temperature of the metal leads to the fact that the atoms approach each other. In this case, the compression of the Continue reading →