Question

One cubic foot holds 7.48 gallons of water, and 1 gallon ofwater weighs 8.33 pounds. How much does 6 cubic feet ofwater weigh in pounds? In tons?

Answer 1

We know that

• 1 cubic foot holds 7.48 gallons of water.

,

• 1 gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds.

The given information is about ratios that we must use to find the answer. Remember that a ratio is a quotient between two magnitudes, that means each statement above represents a fraction which must multiply "6 cubic feet" in order to get the answer. As follows

`6ft^3\cdot(7.48gallons)/(1ft^3)\cdot(8.33lb)/(1gallon)=(6\cdot7.48\cdot8.33)/(1)lb=373\text{.}85lb`

Therefore, 6 cubic feet weighs 373.85 pounds.

On the other hand, 1 ton is equivalent to 2000 pounds. Knowing this, we calculate

`373.85lb\cdot(1ton)/(2000lb)\approx0.19ton`

Therefore, 6 cubic feet weighs about 0.19 tons.