When the temperature of a solid object changes, its length, width, and height change according to the linear thermal expansion relationship of Equation 14-18. As a result, its volume expands as well. A fluid (a liquid or gas) has no fixed dimensions, however, so Equation 14-18 doesn’t apply, but fluids also change their volume when the temperature changes. An equation that describes the volume change with temperature for solids and fluids alike is
The coefficient of volume expansion \(\beta\) (Greek letter beta) also has units of \(\mathrm{K}^{-1}\) or \((^{\circ}\mathrm{C})^{-1}\).