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Glite Dictionary
coefficient of expansion

coefficient of expansion

7.6
A number showing how much a material grows or shrinks for each degree of temperature change
  • noun
  • /ˌkoʊɪˈfɪʃənt əv ɪkˈspænʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : coeficiente de expansión
  • Understanding the coefficient of expansion helps improve the design of structures in areas with fluctuating temperatures.

Examples

  • The engineer calculated the coefficient of expansion to determine how the material would react to temperature changes.

  • Gases have a huge coefficient of expansion when it comes to temperature.

  • When building bridges, architects must consider the coefficient of expansion of the materials used to prevent cracking.

Synonyms

CTE
vscoefficient of expansion
  • Specialized
8.7

A number showing how much a material expands when it gets hotter

is the mathematical ratio measuring fractional change per unit temperature
expansivity
vscoefficient of expansion
  • Specialized
9.8

How much a material grows when it gets hotter

is the fractional change per unit temperature relative to the original size

Surface Forms

coefficient of expansion singular
coefficients of expansion plural

Morphology

coefficient + of + expansion

The term is largely compositional: 'coefficient' signals a numerical constant and 'expansion' denotes growth, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a number that measures how much something expands. However, the precise technical sense (fractional change per unit temperature, and distinctions for length/area/volume at constant pressure) requires domain knowledge and is not fully predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Coefficient of expansion is a number that shows how much a material's expansion or 'shrinking' happens for each degree of temperature change. Imagine a metal rod that gets a tiny bit longer when it gets warmer; that number tells how much longer it will be, so engineers use it to predict and avoid problems when parts change size.