A high-capacity water pump transfers 840 gallons of water in 15 minutes. Operating at this… — Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

A high-capacity water pump transfers $840$ gallons of water in $15$ minutes. Operating at this exact constant rate, how many gallons of water will the pump transfer in $3.5$ hours?

A
$60$
B
$196$
C
$1,176$
$11,760$ Answer

Answer

The pump will transfer 11,760 gallons of water in 3.5 hours.

The problem describes a direct proportion between water volume and time. First, the unit rate is found by dividing

840

gallons by

15

minutes, which gives

56

gallons per minute. Then, the target time of

3.5

hours is converted to

210

minutes (

3.5 \times 60

). Multiplying the unit rate of

56

gallons per minute by the

210

minutes yields

11,760

gallons.

Step-by-Step Solution

Find the unit rate of the pump in gallons per minute.

840 \div 15 = 56

gallons per minute.

To establish a common base rate that can be scaled to any duration.

Convert the target time from hours to minutes.

3.5 \times 60 = 210

minutes.

Proportions require consistent units across all terms; the rate is in minutes, so the target time must also be in minutes.

Multiply the unit rate by the total number of minutes.

56 \times 210 = 11,760

gallons.

To find the total volume transferred at the constant rate over the specified time period.

Key Concept

Direct Proportions

Alternative Method

Instead of finding the unit rate per minute, you can find the rate per hour. Since 15 minutes is

1/4

of an hour, multiply 840 by 4 to get

3,360

gallons per hour. Then, multiply

3,360

3.5

hours to get

11,760

gallons.

Estimated Time:1m 0s

Question

Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Key Concept

Common Mistakes

Alternative Method

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