Question

During a typical afternoon thunderstorm in the summer, an area of 16.0 km2 receives 1.54 108 gal of rain in 18 min. How many inches of rain fell during this 18 min period?

Answer 1

The answer is
`1,434` inches

Explanation:

For simplicity, let's consider a square shaped area which sides are 4.0 Km long. Now, a prism of water with that base has a volume of
`1,54 * 10^8` gal after 18 minutes of rain. I assume you're asking for the altitude of the prism in inches, since the time and the area remain constant. Now

1 gal = 231 cubic inches, so

`1,54 * 10^8` gal = 35574000000 cubic inches.

Knowing that the volume of a prism is V = a * b * h, and in this case

a = b = 4.0 km = 157480 inches, then

`h = (V)/(ab) = (35574000000)/(157480^2) = 1,434`