Why is a tiny gap maintained between rails on railway tracks?
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Answer: C. To allow for the expansion during heat
Explanation
Engineers maintain a tiny gap between rails on railway tracks to allow for the thermal expansion during hot weather. Metal railway tracks expand significantly when exposed to high summer temperatures, requiring expansion room to prevent warping. Physical science principles dictate that solid materials expand when heated, making track gaps essential for structural safety. Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in temperature. Without intentional expansion gaps, expanding steel rails would buckle under compressive stress and cause disastrous train derailments. Civil engineers calculate precise spacing distances based on local climate extremes and the thermal coefficient of steel.
Option A suggests permitting metal shrinkage, which would require contraction gaps rather than spaces for thermal expansion. Option B proposes saving the cost of metal, which is incorrect because safety requirements dictate engineering design choices. Option D claims none of them, which is false since option C accurately identifies thermal expansion management.
- Subject
- General Knowledge
- Category
- General Knowledge
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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