Help LANS with thermo so he can show up to our training games

[LANS]

So I've gotta write a great big lab report (~20% of mark) on linear expansion of solids (boring).

Procedure, data analyses, error accounting I've got figured out. As well as the background of why most materials expand when heated.

However...

Any suggestions on where to look for a statistical thermodynamics explanation for why solids expand in a linear manner? I'm thinking something like mean interatomic distance related to energy of the system, but I'm not sure if it'll get me anywhere.

Ideas on what I should be searching for?

[CowTown]

Zirconium Tungstate sounds like it would be interesting to investigate.

[lexaal]

I'd start with a taylor row assumption
X(T)-X(T0) = X(T0)+X'(T0)*(T-T0) +0.5 X''(T0)*(T-T0)^2 + ...  for small (T-T0) the term (T-T0)^2 is neglectible.
q.e.d.
Now combine that with some data calculate X'' is which is hopefully very small.

Pro: pure math.
Con: statistical analysis of thermodynamic data is no statistical thermodynamic.   

Maybe above theory is a good opener. 
How many pages (A4) do you need?

[LANS]

How many pages (A4) do you need?

10 max, no minimm. I can fill at least four with procedure, raw and interpreted data, error calculation, comparison to accepted values. More if they count the raw data tables and calculation pages I'm stapling to the back in the 10 page max.

If it matter here were the instructions I followed to do the lab and get the data:
http://physwww.physics.mcmaster.ca/PHYS2H04/labs/Linear%20Expansion%20of%20Solids/exp7new.pdf

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING 2H04 LAB REPORTS
The report should be no more than 10 pages in length, including data tables and graphs and should take the
form of a standard lab report. That is, it should have:
(a) a short introduction outlining the purpose of the experiment and the expectations from theory. It is,
however, unnecessary to repeat long sections of the textbook or lab manual.
(b) a description of the apparatus and the experimental procedure used in the experiment.
(c) tables of the data with uncertainties followed by sample calculations for both data and uncertainties.
Observations can also be included in this section.
(d) a summary of experimental results and comparison with accepted and/or theoretical values. Also
included should be a complete discussion of possible sources of deviations between experiment and
theory and whether corrections can be made for any of the systematic errors.
(e) conclusions.

[LANS]

Zirconium Tungstate sounds like it would be interesting to investigate.

I don't get the option. I'm stuck with Aluminum, Brass, Copper. No fun at all.

[LANS]

I'd start with a taylor row assumption
X(T)-X(T0) = X(T0)+X'(T0)*(T-T0) +0.5 X''(T0)*(T-T0)^2 + ...  for small (T-T0) the term (T-T0)^2 is neglectible.
q.e.d.
Now combine that with some data calculate X'' is which is hopefully very small.

That's meaningless for my data. My worst measurement was ~5% off the line of best fit.
Data here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/153439/Coursework_Mac/2010-2011/2H04_IntroThermalPhys/FirstLabAssign/Data%20set.xls

[lexaal]

5% off is imho very good.

[Admiral KS]

Lol...on this note, any medical science related Majors, PhDs etc here?

I'm completing my M.Sc in immunology.