ELI5; why do cars make little tinking noises right after you turn them off and get out?
In: 5
The metal in the engine and surrounding area gets hot when the engine is running (since the engine contains a continuous series of small explosions), and so when you turn it off it cools down to ambient temperature. Since heat causes matter to expand, you’re hearing the noise of the metal shrinking as it cools down.
You can hear the same noises when you use an electric stove – the heating element and the pan will expand with heat and then contract again as they cool, and you can hear audible noises associated with the volume change. It’s very obvious if you take a cold pan and put it on an already hot burner.
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