Thermal Expansion & Sea Level Rise
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Physics, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video by the Paleontological Research Institution describes thermal expansion, how it can be measured experimentally, and how the equation can be used to answer important questions.
- The video details how thermal expansion causes significant sea level rise with increasing temperatures.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This is a great video of a thermal expansion experiment and the speaker walks students through the equation at a good pace.
- The graphs about sea level rise are impactful.
Prerequisites
- You may want to teach your students how to navigate between metric and imperial units.
- If you decide to replicate this experiment in your lab you will need the appropriate materials ready beforehand.
- It may benefit students to understand climate change and why thermal expansion is an important concept for the future.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Advanced students could experiment with varying degrees of diluted sea water to see if the melting of the ice caps will increase or decrease the rate of thermal expansion in the ocean.
- If you decide to replicate the experiment shown in this video, students could work in pairs or groups.
- Other resources about sea level rise include this interactive map from NOAA on sea level rise, sea level data from NASA, and this lesson looking at Earth's vital signs, including sea level rise.
This resource uses a simple experiment to demonstrate the principle of thermal expansion and apply it to the larger issue of sea level rise. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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