Expansion and Density
- Density is the same as Weight: Thinking a large piece of wood is “denser” than
a small copper coin because the wood is heavier overall. - Expansion is caused by “Heat Particles”: The idea that heat is a physical
substance (caloric) that enters an object and takes up space, pushing the atoms
apart. - Particles “sink” when they get cold: Believing that individual particles become
“heavier” when cooled, rather than the substance becoming denser as a whole. - Floating is only about weight: The idea that heavy things always sink and light
things always float, regardless of volume. - Compressed gas is “stronger”: Thinking that the particles in a compressed gas
are harder or “more squashed” themselves.
