RE: Squeaky springs(sp?) and ZPE...
figure 19.8 page 513 serway physics 3rd edition. 'A
mechanical model of a crystalline solid. The
Atoms(solid spheres) are imagined to be attached to
each other by springs, which reflect the elastic
nature of the interatomic forces.'
'Most bodies expand as there temperature increases.
This phenomenon plays an important role in numerous
engineering applications. For example thermal
expansion joints must be included in buildings,
concrete highways, railroad tracks, and bridges to
compensate for changes in dimensions with temperature
variations. The overall thermal expansion of a body is
a consequence of the change in the average seperation
between its constituent atoms or molecules. To
understand this, consider a crystalline solid, which
consists of a regular array of atoms held together by
electrical forces. We can obtain a mechanical model
of these forces by imagining that the atoms are
connected by a set of stiff springs as in figure 19.8'