Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A copper wire long and across is fixed, just slack, between two rigid posts at . It cools to . What tension appears in it? (, .)
Wires end to end carry the same force, and their stretches add. Wires side by side share one stretch, and their forces add in proportion to . A clamped rod heated by carries a thermal stress , whatever its length.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Stress. .
Step 2. Area. .
Step 3. Tension. .
Answer: About .
Check. The length does not appear: a longer wire would shrink more, but in the same proportion.
Watch out. Cooling makes a tension; heating a clamped rod makes a compression.
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