Answer's to Last Weeks Math Problem of the Week and the New Math Problem of the Week

Submitted by david.thacker on

Answer:  The Gallon or the Gallows Problem

1.  First fill the 3-quart bucket to the top.2.  Pour that water into the 5-quart bucket.  It will not hold 3 quarts.3.  Fill the 3-quart bucket to the top once more.4.  Pour water from that bucket into the 5-quart bucket until it is full.  The 3-quart bucket now holds 1 quart of water - this is the key to the solution.5.  Now dump out all of the water from the 5 quart bucket.  It is now empty6.  Pour the 1 quart of water from the 3-quart bucket into the 5-quart bucket7.  Fill the 3-quart bucket again and pour the water into the 5-quart bucket.8.  You have now added 3 quarts to 1 quart to make 4 quarts, or 1 gallon.You can breathe a sigh of relief!!  You won't get expelled....not today, at least.Winner: Maddy Johnson

 

Snow Water Equivalence Problem
Winter weather can result in snowstorms dumping large amounts of snow in a short  time. The Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is a common snow pack measurement to tell the amount of water contained within the snow pack. It is the depth of water that would result  if the entire snow pack melted.  For example, if an empty wading pool filled with 20 inches of new powdery snow at  0.15 snow water density and the snow is melted, you would be left with a pool of water 3  inches deep. In this case, the SWE of your snow pack would equal 20 × 0.15 = 3 inches.  To determine snow depth from SWE you need to know the density of the snow. The  density of new snow ranges from about 0.05 when the air temperature is 14° F, to about  0.20 when the air temperature is 32° F. After the snow falls its density increases due to  gravitational settling, wind packing, melting and recrystallization. The relationship between the snow water equivalent, snow density and snow depth is  modeled with the following formula:  snow water equivalent ÷ snow density = snow depth 
Snow from a recent snowstorm filled an empty  cylindrical trash can 28 inches tall. When the snow was  melted, the height of the water in the trash can was 6.4  inches. What was the density of the snow? Express your  answer as a decimal to the nearest hundredth.