How Much Does Rain Weigh
Here's rain water inside a new house. How much rain is floating around up in the sky? (C) Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
How Much Does Rain Weigh? - For 2 Inches Per Square Mile
I like to do arithmetic problems the way I was taught in grade school. I still use a pencil and paper.
The goal is to keep my brain sharp. It's one of the reasons I like doing Morse code too.
My favorite pencils to use are Blackwing Naturals. CLICK or TAP HERE to order them. They're unbelievable.
Step One: You need to find out how many square feet are in a square mile.
Step Two: You need to calculate the decimal equivalent of 2 inches as it relates to a foot.
Step Three: You need to calculate how many cubic feet of water fall when 2 inches of rain falls on a square mile.
Step Four: You then multiply the cubic feet of water by 62.4. That's how many pounds a cubic foot of water weighs.
Two Hundred and Eighty-Eight + MILLION pounds of water.
HOLY TOMATO! Amazing all that weight is up in the atmosphere and there's are TRILLIONS of pounds of rain in a giant storm system!
This brain teaser was featured in the July 11, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.