Heat and temperature ______________________________________________________________ 11. Expansion of gases.
Figure 7.7Although solids and liquids expand very slightly when they heat up, gases expand greatly when temperature rises.
Remember than in gases, particles are far apart, have complete freedom of movement, and their kinetic energy is high. Because of these, in case of gases it is more appropriate to talk about an increase in volume than an increase in length.
Q&A
Q: Perhaps you might have observed that after you inflate a pool float and push it into the pool, it seems a bit under-inflated. Why does it happen?
A: This is not because of any leak in the float. However, this happens because the temperature of the water in the pool is low, which reduces the volume of the air inside.