> This is getting as tedious as the 'holes bored in metal get smaller 
> when you
> heat it up' thread on another list.

I'll bite.
Beats working :-)

One could do the math (arithmetic) but there seems a far easier way.

A heated piece of metal expands (for most metals).

EITHER:

The metal all expands linearly, in amount proportionally equally to 
its original size and the object therefore retains its original 
relative shape and proportions. In which case holes become larger to 
retain their relationship to the expanded whole. ie the object is 
simply a scaled up version of the original.

OR:

The object changes its relative shape and proportions in some way so 
that eg holes can become smaller relative to the size of the expanded 
whole.
ie heating the object uniformly throughout causes it to assume a new 
shape which is not a directly scaled version of its original form.

AND, AS:

The former seems to obey the "laws" of Physics and the latter dinna 
then we conclude that holes in a heated piece of metal will expand as 
the metal expands to maintain the scale of the heated object.


QED



        RM 

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist