Calculate the stress developed inside a tooth cavity filled with copper when hot tea at a temperature of 57 °C is drunk. You can take body (tooth) temperature to be 37 °C and α=1.7×10-5/°C Bulk modulus for copper = 140×109 N/m2

Hint: Stress in the tooth is developed due to the expansion of the tooth.
Step 1: Find the strain produced in the tooth.
Given, the decrease in temperature, (t)=57-37=20°C
Coefficient of linear expansion, (α)=1.7×10-5/°C
Bulk modulus for copper, (B)=140×109 N/m2
Coefficient of cubical expansion, (γ)=3α=5.1×10-5/°C
Let the initial volume of the cavity be V and its volume increases by V due to an increase in temperature.
                         V=γVt
                          VV=γt
Step 2: Find the stress developed.
Thermal stress produced = B x Volumetric strain
                                    =B×VV=B×γt
=140×109×(5.1×10-5×20)
=1.428×108 N/m2
This is about 103 times of atmospheric pressure.