Question

A 65-foot-long steel beam is subject to temperature change from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Would you expect the beam to elongate by 0.3 inches or 1.3 inches?

Answer

You would expect it to elongate by 0.3 inches. This change in length is equal to the change in temperature times the original length times the coefficient of thermal expansion (0.0000065 inches per inch for steel). So, 60 degrees Fahrenheit x (65 feet x 12 inches per foot) x 0.0000065 = 0.3042 inches.