Horsepower Calculation Challenge: Put Your Math Skills to the Test!
How can we calculate the horsepower of a water pump?
The horsepower of a water pump varies jointly with the weight of the water moved (in lbs) and the length of the discharge head (in feet). A 8.8 horsepower pump can move 441 lbs of water against a discharge head of 400 feet. What is the horsepower of a pump that moves 520 lbs of water against a discharge head of 500 feet?
Answer:
The horsepower of the pump is 17.6.
To find the horsepower of a pump that moves 520 lbs of water against a discharge head of 500 feet, we can set up a proportion based on the given information. Since horsepower varies jointly with the weight of the water moved and the length of the discharge head, we can write the proportion as follows:
Horsepower1 / Horsepower2 = (Weight1 * Head1) / (Weight2 * Head2)
Using the given values:
8.8 / Horsepower2 = (441 * 400) / (520 * 500)
Simplifying the proportion:
8.8 / Horsepower2 = 176400 / 260000
Cross-multiplying:
(8.8) * (260000) = (Horsepower2) * (176400)
Solving for Horsepower2:
Horsepower2 = (8.8 * 260000) / 176400
Horsepower2 ≈ 13.03
Rounded to the nearest tenth, the horsepower of the pump is approximately 17.6.