Two metals P and Q of length l1 and l2 are heated through the same temperature difference. If the ratio of the linear expansivities of P to Q is 2:3 and the...

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Physics - 2010 Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

Two metals P and Q of length l1 and l2 are heated through the same temperature difference. If the ratio of the linear expansivities of P to Q is 2:3 and the ratio of lengths is 3:4. What is the ratio of increase in length of P to Q?
Answer Details
When two different materials are heated through the same temperature difference, the length of the materials changes. This change in length due to temperature is called thermal expansion. The amount of thermal expansion depends on the material's coefficient of linear expansion, which is denoted by alpha (α). From the problem, we know that the ratio of the linear expansivities of P to Q is 2:3, which means that alpha of P is (2/3) times alpha of Q. Also, the ratio of the lengths of P to Q is 3:4. Let's assume the original lengths of P and Q are 3x and 4x respectively. When heated, the increase in length of P will be αP × l1 = (2/3)αQ × l1 = (2/3)αQ × (3x), since length of P is 3x and the ratio of linear expansivities is 2:3. Similarly, the increase in length of Q will be αQ × l2 = αQ × (4x), since length of Q is 4x. Now, to find the ratio of increase in length of P to Q, we divide the increase in length of P by the increase in length of Q: [(2/3)αQ × (3x)] / [αQ × (4x)] = (2/3) × (3/4) = 1/2 Therefore, the ratio of increase in length of P to Q is 1:2. Hence, the answer is (C) 1:2.

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning