At 1000 degrees, how much will a 100-foot section of steel elongate?

When metals, including steel, are heated, they undergo thermal expansion, causing them to elongate. The amount of elongation can be calculated using a formula that considers the material's coefficient of thermal expansion. For steel, the average coefficient of thermal expansion is approximately 0.0000065 inches per inch per degree Fahrenheit.

To determine how much a 100-foot section of steel will elongate at 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, the following steps are involved:

1. Convert the length from feet to inches, as the coefficient is typically expressed in inches. Since there are 12 inches in a foot, a 100-foot section is 1200 inches long.

2. The temperature change needs to be assessed. If we consider room temperature to be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the change is from 70 degrees to 1000 degrees, which is a difference of 930 degrees.

3. The formula for elongation is:

Elongation = Original Length × Coefficient of Thermal Expansion × Temperature Change

Substituting in the values:

Elongation = 1200 inches × 0.0000065 in/in/°F × 930°F

This calculates approximately to 7.26 inches. While this result