Why is Eiffel Tower longer in summer?

Like any metal, puddled iron is sensitive to variations in temperature and so reacts to high temperatures in summer and low or even negative temperatures in winter. When temperatures rise, the Tower increases in size! This is a natural physical phenomenon called thermal expansion.



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Like most materials, the tower undergoes thermal expansion. Thermal expansion is when a material changes dimensions while it undergoes temperature changes. The tower expands and contracts 15 cm from the hottest to the coldest day.

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A few millimeters gained in summer, but lost in winter! This is a natural physical phenomenon called thermal expansion. Heat causes an increase in volume that makes the Eiffel Tower a few millimeters taller.

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Metal absorbs the heat, causing the Eiffel Tower to grow by 6.75 inches. On the other hand, it shrinks during the winter due to thermal contraction caused by freezing weather. So, the Tower shrinks between six and seven inches, depending on the weather conditions.

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The tower's metal contracts in the winter and expands in the summer allowing the tower to change in size throughout the year. The Eiffel Tower's height can change by up to 15 cm. This happens because puddled iron, which the Tower is made out of, is sensitive to the variations in temperature.

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A few millimeters gained in summer, but lost in winter! This is a natural physical phenomenon called thermal expansion. Heat causes an increase in volume that makes the Eiffel Tower a few millimeters taller. This expansion also causes the Tower to tilt slightly away from the sun.

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What Are the 11 Most Interesting Facts About the Eiffel Tower?
  • It Was Designed by Gustave Eiffel. ...
  • It Took 22 Months to Complete. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Is Made of Iron. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Has Three Floors. ...
  • It's as heavy as an Entire Freight Train. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Has to be Repainted Every 7 Years.


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Heat causes an increase in volume that makes the Eiffel Tower a few millimeters taller. This expansion also causes the Tower to tilt slightly away from the sun. The sun only hits one of the 4 sides of the Tower creating an imbalance with the other 3 sides, that remain stable, thus causing the Eiffel Tower to lean.

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In fact, the Tower has been repainted for over 130 years, about once every 7 years. So if it is repainted, the Eiffel Tower can last... forever.

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Metal absorbs the heat, causing the Eiffel Tower to grow by 6.75 inches. On the other hand, it shrinks during the winter due to thermal contraction caused by freezing weather. So, the Tower shrinks between six and seven inches, depending on the weather conditions.

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The Eiffel Tower is open all year. You can find our opening times here. The Eiffel Tower may be closed for all or part of a day in exceptional circumstances. We inform the public of any closures as soon as possible, on this website and on social media.

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Radio saved the Eiffel Tower from destruction The value of the tower in sending and receiving wireless messages, particularly for the French military, caused the city to renew Eiffel's concession when it expired in 1909. Today, more than 100 antennae on the tower beam radio and television broadcasts around the world.

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The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be torn down after 20 years. The tower was built with the intent of showing off France's industrial prowess during the World's Fair, but the plan was to tear it down after 20 years. However, Eiffel cleverly put a radio antenna and wireless telegraph transmitter in the tower.

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It was met immediately with tremendous success. Only intended to last 20 years, it was saved by the scientific experiments that Eiffel encouraged, and in particular by the first radio transmissions, followed by telecommunications.

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The paint wears off with time and rain, so it has to be redone to guarantee continued protection. For this reason, the Tower has been repainted on average every seven years, according to a cycle laid out by Gustave Eiffel himself.

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Eiffel Tower Day 2023: Every year on March 31, Eiffel Tower Day is observed to honour the tower's inaugural. On this day in 1889, the skyscraper was revealed to the public. And even after 134 years, this monument continues to charm thousands of tourists each day.

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