The temperature coefficient describes how a material’s properties change with temperature. Linear changes make it easy to calculate, but non-linear changes are more difficult. Temperature-dependent materials have practical applications, such as temperature-dependent resistors in electronics.
The temperature coefficient of a material describes how much a certain property changes when the temperature increases or decreases by 1 Kelvin (equivalent to 1° Celsius). Some common properties that vary with temperature include electrical resistance and elasticity. Linear changes in a material’s properties make it easy to calculate a temperature coefficient, but the calculations become more difficult if the change in a property is non-linear. There are numerous practical applications for materials that change with temperature, especially in electronics, which is why the study of temperature coefficients is important.
When a substance is heated or cooled, its properties can change. For example, the resistance of an object can increase or decrease depending on its temperature. Other properties, such as the elasticity of a material, can also vary with temperature. Substances with temperature-related properties are useful for a variety of different applications, so scientists need to be able to judge exactly what changes will occur on a particular type of material.
The temperature coefficient is a way for scientists to numerically describe the change in a material’s properties with temperature. In other words, the temperature coefficient is how much a property changes when the temperature is changed by 1 Kelvin. The Kelvin scale is an alternative measure of temperature with a different starting point than the Celsius scale, but a change of 1 Kelvin is the equivalent of 1° Celsius.
How a material changes with temperature depends on a variety of factors. For example, some materials have a resistance to electricity that changes linearly with temperature. This means that if the temperature doubles, the resistance also doubles. It is much easier to calculate a temperature coefficient if the material varies linearly with temperature.
If the variation with temperature is not linear, the temperature coefficient is more difficult to calculate. In this situation, scientists usually try to discover a variety of temperature coefficients that can be used in various temperature ranges. Even so, it is not always possible to calculate a useful temperature coefficient.
An example of a practical application that is possible due to the known temperature coefficient of a material is temperature-dependent resistors. These are used in a number of electrical circuits and allow an engineer to change the behavior of a circuit based on the outside temperature. Without being able to predict how a material reacts to changes in temperature, this would not be possible.
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