Flat Washers

[cabinetman]

If you heat a steel flat washer, will the hole get larger or smaller?
.

[gmack5]

Bigger

FROM WHAT I REMEMBER OF MY HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS DEMONSTRATION IT'LL GET LARGER.

It was a Ring (Kinda like a washer) and a Ball and when they heated the Ring, the Ball would pass through it, where it wouldn't go through the Ring when they were both at room temperature.

[Ed62]

That's a good question. It seems like it would get smaller, due to the metal expanding in both directions. But what do I know? I never did the experiment above. Maybe all the expansion takes place in the outer perimeter due to "path of least resistance". Gimme the official answer. Enquiring minds want to know.

Ed

[LCHIEN]

it will get larger. Although you may think of metal expanding in all directions the correct way of thinking is what happens along the circumference at any given tiny slice of radius on the washer. The circumference gets longer, hence the radius will get larger.

[DaveS]

FROM WHAT I REMEMBER OF MY HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS DEMONSTRATION IT'LL GET LARGER.

It was a Ring (Kinda like a washer) and a Ball and when they heated the Ring, the Ball would pass through it, where it wouldn't go through the Ring when they were both at room temperature.

I recall heating/cooling the ball - not the ring.

[charliex]

Replacing tapered bearings. Heat the inner race and then slip it on to the shaft. If it's cold outside set the shaft out for some time before heating the inner race.
Chas

[germdoc]

If you heat a steel flat washer, will the hole get larger or smaller?
.

The correct answer is: depends on what body part you have got stuck inside the washer and how hot you are willing to heat the washer to try to get that body part out.

[cabinetman]

The correct answer is: depends on what body part you have got stuck inside the washer and how hot you are willing to heat the washer to try to get that body part out.

Is the scientific relevance called "proportionate heat variable"?
.

[iceman61]

it will get larger. Although you may think of metal expanding in all directions the correct way of thinking is what happens along the circumference at any given tiny slice of radius on the washer. The circumference gets longer, hence the radius will get larger.

This is absolutely correct. We use to heat large steel couplings (12" ID) with an acetylene torch with a rosebud tip until they were almost cherry red to get them to slide onto the gearbox/motor shaft. If I remember right this is called an interference fit. We also heated bearing races to get them to fit on a shaft like charliex described for tapered bearings.

[JohnnyLisa]

The photo below shows another practical application of the inner diameter expansion when heat is applied. This is a locomotive steel tire being heated with a gas ring to expand it to fit over the spoked drive wheel. When cool, the tire shrinks to fit the wheel tight enough so that there is no slippage.

[cwithboat]

To loosen a stuck lid on a jar one runs hot water on it. The glass jar is not shrinking so the lid must expand. Inner portion and outer portion.

[Tom Slick]

the diameter gets bigger, if you don't believe it you can argue with my physics book that is open in front of me!

[crokett]

The diameter gets bigger. If it didn't blacksmiths could never have built wood-spoked wagon wheels with iron rims.

[TheRic]

To loosen a stuck lid on a jar one runs hot water on it. The glass jar is not shrinking so the lid must expand. Inner portion and outer portion.

Actually the metal and glass both expand, the metal expands quicker (and more) than the glass.