How Much Does a Cubic Foot of Water Weigh?
A cubic foot of water weighs about 62.3 pounds when the water’s temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The weight changes, however, when the temperature does. This is because the temperature affects the water’s density, and the density affects the weight. Cooler water is denser than warmer water, so if the temperature of the water is less than 70 F, a cubic foot of it weighs more. If the water is warmer, it weighs less than 62.3 pounds per cubic foot.
At 70 F, a gallon of water weighs about 8.33 pounds, as noted by the USGS Water Science School. When given the weight of a gallon of water as the starting point, multiply it by 7.48, which is the number of gallons in a cubic foot. The result is how much a cubic foot of water weighs.
Does a Cubic Foot of Ice Weigh More Than a Cubic Foot of Water?
Ice defies the temperature rule mentioned above because water molecules expand as they freeze, increasing in volume and becoming less dense. This is why ice floats on water. As a comparison to water at 70 F, which weighs 62.3 pounds per cubic foot, ice weighs 57.2 pounds per cubic foot. Therefore, a cubic foot of ice weighs less than a cubic foot of water by more than five pounds.
Buoyancy in Water
Buoyancy levels of objects are determined by their weight as well as the amount of water displaced by that weight, according to the Archimedes Principle. An ocean liner floats, for example, because it displaces a huge volume of water.
Saltwater weighs slightly more per cubic foot than freshwater due to the minerals dissolved in it. This means that an object weighing slightly more per cubic foot than freshwater will be negatively buoyant and sink while the same object, weighing slightly less per cubic foot then saltwater, will be positively buoyant and float.
Divers can increase and decrease their buoyancy levels by adjusting their air. This allows them to float, sink further into the water, or stay neutral, which is called neutral buoyancy.
Why Do We Need Water?
We use water for agriculture, in industry, as a source of energy, for recreational purposes and, most importantly, we need water for our health.
It’s important to stay hydrated through the food you eat and liquids you drink. Water helps to regulate your temperature, quenches your thirst, ensures your bodily tissues are kept moist, helps lubricate your joints, and helps protect your spine.
Water also stops you from becoming dehydrated in hot temperatures, when exercising, or if suffering from an illness. The water volume you need to stay healthy depends on your physical activity, whether you’re ill, and the climate. As a rule, if you drink water when you’re thirsty and quench your thirst, your water intake should be enough to meet your body’s needs.
Types of Water Bodies
Various water bodies have different distinctions and include small and large areas of water as well as saltwater and freshwater.
Oceans are the biggest water bodies. Of these, the Pacific Ocean is the biggest with the Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic oceans after that. Some portions of oceans are known as seas, such as the Bering Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Other subdivisions of oceans are straits, bays, and gulfs.
Inland, bodies of water that are completely surrounded by land are called lakes, such as the Great Lakes of North America. Bodies of water that flow over the surface are called rivers and streams. Well-known rivers include the Yangtze River, Nile River, and Amazon River.
A body of water that’s frozen is called a glacier. About 10 percent of land is covered by glacial ice. Staggeringly, this glacial ice comprises about three-quarters of the planet’s freshwater.
Famous Bodies of Water
Blood Falls in Antarctica oozes blood-colored liquid between the icy peaks of Taylor Glacier. This is water rich in iron that has seeped from a hypersaline lake underneath the glacier. The air’s oxygen reacts with the iron, turning it into the blood-red waterfall.
Boiling Lake is, as you might guess, a boiling lake. Molten lava flows underneath the lake, heating it up and pushing hot gas and steam through the water. If you happen to be hiking near a bubbling lake in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, it’s best to resist the urge to go for a dip.
The Kelimutu Crater Lakes in Indonesia are three crater lakes in the crest of Kelimutu volcano. Despite being next to each other, they each have different colors, which change sometimes. These colors are as diverse as black and white, red and green, and blue and chocolate brown.
