The capacity of a fuel oil transfer pump is 100 gpm. If a fuel oil setting tank measures 6 feet by 6 feet by 12 feet high, how long must the pump run to fill the tank to 11 feet, if the tank presently holds 2 feet of fuel?
• Volume = length × width × height for rectangular tanks • Convert gallons per minute (gpm) and cubic feet using 1 ft³ = 7.48 gallons • Only pump the additional height of fuel needed, not the whole tank volume
• How many cubic feet of fuel are needed to raise the fuel level from 2 feet to 11 feet in a 6 ft by 6 ft tank? • Once you know the cubic feet required, how do you convert that to gallons, and then to minutes at 100 gpm? • Are you accidentally calculating the volume for the full 11-foot height instead of just the extra fuel needed?
• Be sure to use the difference in height (final level minus current level) when finding volume • Convert cubic feet to gallons before using the pump rate in gpm • Double-check whether your final time is in minutes, not hours or seconds
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