As ice is heated it starts to melt and as far as I know water expands on cooling and contract on melting or heating but I do not understand why is coefficient of linear expansion of ice is calculated to be approximately equal to 50×10^-6 K¹-. What does this mean?
[Physics] Coefficient of linear expansion of ice
temperaturethermodynamics
Best Answer
The coefficient of linear expansiveness of ice is a measure of the fractional change in the length of a specimen of ice for a 1 degree change in temperature.
It is a property of water in the solid phase of water.
So around but below $0^\circ \rm C$ the fractional change in the length of a specimen of ice is $50 \times 10^{-6}$ for ever degree change in the temperature as long as the temperature is such that you have only ice present.
The value of this coefficient decreases as the temperature decreases and actually becomes negative below approximately $-250^\circ \rm C$ as shown in the graph below.