Measuring thermal linear expansion using a strain gauge
Abstract
We have utilized a strain gauge to measure the thermal linear expansion of two different metals. The measured values for the coefficient of thermal expansion a are (2.26 ± 0.05) x10-5 K-1 and (1.63 ± 0.03) x10-5 K-1 for aluminum and copper respectively. These values are in good agreement with the accepted values known in text. The accuracy of the results clearly illustrates the potential of the strain gauge for use in thermal expansion measurements.