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Discussion » Questions » Math » Another math question. How many pounds of air are in a room 3m x10m x 5m?
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Another math question. How many pounds of air are in a room 3m x10m x 5m?

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Posted - July 11, 2021
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Responses


  • 10664
    Insufficient data.  One must also know the room's temperature (cold air is heavier) and barometric pressure.  Alos, you are using different measurement scales (metric and  imperial)

    Assuming a seal level pressure (30.00) {15 psi) and a temp of 70 F (21 C) ... I'm going to guess somewhere around 430 lbs (give or take).

      July 11, 2021 10:30 AM MDT
    2

  • 44652
    Good guess. when I posed this question and activity to my freshmen students, most of them guessed quite low and were surprised at the answer.  One needs to know grams/mol of air. They had to measure the room using meter sticks. I gave them the conversions they needed and helped them with their calculations.
      July 11, 2021 11:22 AM MDT
    3

  • 3719
    Here's one that might surprise many although it cannot possibly be numerical:

    How heavy is a fairly dense but otherwise medium-sized cumulus cloud?

    Clearly we can't quote any but very rough volumes and do not know the density of a particular cloud by droplets/volume, but on average, thousands of tonnes.

    A more sensible and indeed arithmetical, question, is the weight of so-many mm of rain on a given area of land.
      July 11, 2021 1:50 PM MDT
    1

  • 44652
    Interesting cloud question. I think up stuff like that out of boredom. I once tried to calculate the number of electrons it would take to completely fill the known universe. Needless to say...
      December 28, 2021 1:52 PM MST
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  • 53526

     

      A whole slew. What do I win?
      ~

      December 28, 2021 1:57 PM MST
    2

  • 44652
    Slew X 0 = ?____
      December 28, 2021 2:01 PM MST
    3

  • 53526

     

      Anything multiplied by zero = zero.

    ~

      December 28, 2021 2:36 PM MST
    2

  • 13277
    You win the genius award!
      December 28, 2021 2:45 PM MST
    2

  • 44652
    I can prove that wrong.
      December 28, 2021 3:51 PM MST
    2

  • 2219
    Why are you using imperial weight units and metric length units. 
      July 11, 2021 2:08 PM MDT
    3

  • 44652
    My students had to make the conversions from kg to lb.
      December 28, 2021 1:50 PM MST
    2

  • 13277
    How many Kittigates in a pound?
      December 28, 2021 2:13 PM MST
    2

  • 44652
    LOeffingL
      December 28, 2021 3:52 PM MST
    2

  • 53526

     

      The amount of air is all of the air that is in there.
      ~

      July 16, 2021 6:36 AM MDT
    2

  • 13277
    No sh*t, Sherlock!
      December 28, 2021 1:51 PM MST
    1

  • 44652
    I gave the experiment to freshmen. I never got that answer.
      December 28, 2021 1:54 PM MST
    3

  • 53526

     


      I’ll just need to know how much money I’ve won, Professor, thank you.
    ~

      December 28, 2021 1:56 PM MST
    3

  • 13277
    Maybe half a slew.
      December 28, 2021 2:12 PM MST
    2