The Eiffel Tower grows taller in the summer
When the sun shines, the metal on the Eiffel Tower stretches out. This makes the tower grow about 15 centimeters taller on hot days!
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Last updated: January 30, 2026 at 03:39 PMWhen the sun shines, the metal on the Eiffel Tower stretches out. This makes the tower grow about 15 centimeters taller on hot days!
The Eiffel Tower isn't always the same height. In fact, it grows and shrinks every year. During a very hot summer, this giant iron landmark can become about 15 centimeters (6 inches) taller than it is during the winter.
This isn't magic - it's science! The tower is made of a special kind of iron called puddled iron. When things get hot, the tiny particles inside the metal start moving faster and take up more space. This is called "thermal expansion." Because there is so much metal in the tower, all those tiny movements add up, pushing the top of the tower higher into the sky.
The sun doesn't hit all sides of the tower at the same time. On a sunny day, the side facing the sun gets hotter and expands more than the shady side. This causes the tower to actually tilt slightly away from the sun! It's like the tower is performing a slow, metallic dance to find the most comfortable position in the heat.
When the cold winter air arrives, the opposite happens. The metal particles slow down and huddle closer together, causing the iron to contract. The tower then returns to its original size. So, the Eiffel Tower is like a giant thermometer - the hotter it gets, the higher it goes!
The Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer because heat makes metal expand. On very hot days, the iron grows by up to 15 centimeters. When it gets cold again, the tower shrinks back down. It is a living, breathing giant that changes with the weather.