Five inches of heavey wet snow are equivalent to four inches of rain. Estimate the water content in 14 inches of heavy, wet snow.
The water content in 14 in of snow is---- inches

Question

Five inches of heavey wet snow are equivalent to four inches of rain. Estimate the water content in 14 inches of heavy, wet snow.
The water content in 14 in of snow is---- inches

anonymous · Answer

So in this question you want to set up a proportion.

5 in of heavy snow = 4 inches of rain so how many inches of rain is in 14 inches of heavy snow?

5in of heavy snow = 5 inches of rain
_________________     _______________
14 in of heavy snow   X (x=how many inches of rain)

anonymous · Answer

I dont know confused

anonymous · Answer

You understand that 5 inches of heavy snow = 4 inches of rain correct?

anonymous · Answer

yes

anonymous · Answer

So if you're trying to find how much rain is in 14 inches of snow You can set up

14inches of heavy snow = x (x, because you don't know the value)

Do you understand why you set 14 = to x?

anonymous · Answer

not really
because we dont know what x is

anonymous · Answer

You know the value of heavy snow but not the rain in this instance which is why we put is as x and we're going to solve for x So we don't have to know it....get what I'm saying? We're setting up an algebraic equation so we can figure out how many inches of rain are in 14 inches of heavy snow

anonymous · Answer

I kinda understand sorry I am not good in math at all

anonymous · Answer

Thats cool, I'm here to help people :D 

Imagine you have 2 buckets, one is filled with 5in of heavy snow and the other is filled with 5 inches of rain, both of these buckets are equal so you don't worry about that.


now take another two buckets and fill one with 14 inches of heavy snow and then take the second bucket and how much rain do we fill in it to make it equal? Well we don't know (it didn't tell us) which  is what we're trying to find out. So the other bucket we put as X since we don't know it.

I'm trying to put it in different words...but do you get what we're trying to find? Or can you tell me where you're having trouble?

anonymous · Answer

I understand that we don't know what the other bucket consist of its from that point on I don't know what has to be done to find the answer

anonymous · Answer

I got 11.2 that right

anonymous · Answer

That is correct! So 14 inches of heavy snow is equal to 11.2 inches of rain, you can always solve these types of equations with a proportion. of a number over another = a number over x(what you're trying to find)

anonymous · Answer

Thanks