Final answer:
The increase in the surface area of the square plate is 80x square units.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the formula for thermal expansion in two dimensions, the change in area (AA) is given by:
AA = 2aAΔT
Where:
- AA is the increase in surface area
- a is the linear expansivity of the material
- A is the original surface area
- ΔT is the change in temperature
In this case, the side length of the square plate is 2 units, so the original surface area is A = (2 units) x (2 units) = 4 square units. The change in temperature is 10°C. Therefore, the increase in surface area can be calculated as:
AA = 2x x (4 square units) x (10°C) = 80x square units
So, the increase in the surface area of the plate is 80x square units.