Know exactly how much fluid your water or fuel tank overflow pipe can carry before a malfunction occurs. The overflow pipe takes fluid out of the tank when the system backs up to prevent spillage out of the top or bottom of the tank onto the floor. The size of the overflow pipe is found by determining the volume of a cylinder, since pipes have a cylindrical shape. Measurements of the physical dimensions of the pipe allow calculation of volume.
Instructions
1. Measure the distance around the curved side of the pipe in inches. Be sure to measure along a straight path. This distance is the circumference. For this example, assume a circumference of 15.0 inches.
2. Measure the length of the pipe in inches. For example, the length might be 30.0 inches.
3. Dividing the circumference by 2 times the number pi arrives at the pipe radius. Radius measures the distance from the center of the circular end of the pipe to its side. Use 3.14 for pi. Completing this step leads to 15.0 inches divided by the product of 2 and 3.14, or 6.28, which equals 2.4 inches.
4. Multiply pi times the length times the square of the radius to get the volume of the pipe in cubic inches. Continuing the example, you have 3.14 times 15.0 inches times 2.4 inches times 2.4 inches, or a volume of 271.3 cubic inches.
5. Divide the volume in cubic inches by 231 to change to gallons, since a single gallon equals 231 cubic inches. Completing the example yields 271.3 cubic inches divided by 231 cubic inches per gallon, or 1.2 gallons.
Tags: cubic inches, times inches, inches divided, inches times, inches times inches, overflow pipe, pipe inches