Question

A waste treatment lagoon is 50 meters long and 15 meters wide, and it has an average depth of 2 meters. The waste density is 85.3 lbm/ft³. Calculate the weight of the pond contents in pounds-force (lbf) using a single dimensional equation for your calculations.

Answer 1

To calculate the weight of the pond contents, multiply the volume of the pond by the waste density, after converting the volume from cubic meters to cubic feet. The weight of the pond contents is 4,527,685.1665 pounds-force (lbf).

Step-by-step explanation:

We must first determine the pond's volume in order to compute the weight of its contents. The volume can be calculated by multiplying the length by the width and the average depth. Thus, the volume is equal to 1500 cubic meters (50 meters by 15 meters by 2 meters).

The volume must then be multiplied by the conversion factor of 35.3147 cubic feet per cubic meter in order to convert it from cubic meters to cubic feet. Thus, 1500 cubic meters times 35.3147 cubic feet per cubic meter, or 52,972.05 cubic feet, is the volume in cubic feet.

Finally, by multiplying the volume in cubic feet by the waste density in pounds per cubic foot, we can determine the weight of the contents of the pond. Therefore, 52,972.05 cubic feet times 85.3 lbm/ft³ equals 4,527,685.1665 pounds-force (lbf) for the weight of the pond's contents.