Live relationshipΔL=αL0ΔT\Delta L = \alpha L_0 \Delta T
Reaction vessel. Temperature swing at 90 K. Predicted growth 0.03 m, Joint allowance 0.01 m. Currently predicted growth is over by 0.015 m.REACTION VESSELTUNINGREACTANTSPRODUCTSACTIVATION PATH90 K

Predicted growth

0.03m

Joint allowance

0.01m

90 K

Reaction vessel. Temperature swing at 90 K. Predicted growth 0.03 m, Joint allowance 0.01 m. Currently predicted growth is over by 0.015 m.

Narrative feed

You arrive at a 25 m steel footbridge installed on a hot afternoon.

The expansion joint allows exactly 12 mm of growth. Steel expands 12 millionths of its length per kelvin, and the assumed temperature swing is wrong.