The dimensions of an aquarium are 20 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 18 inches high. If 231 cubic inches of water fill 1 gallon, how many gallons of water are in the aquarium to the nearest gallon?
(aquarium volume,in^3)/(231 in^3/gal)
= ___ gallons
Calculate the volume and divide by 231
To find the number of gallons of water in the aquarium, we need to calculate the volume of the aquarium in cubic inches, and then convert it to gallons.
The volume of a rectangular prism (such as an aquarium) is calculated by multiplying its length, width, and height. So in this case, the volume of the aquarium can be calculated as:
Volume = length * width * height
Volume = 20 inches * 14 inches * 18 inches
Now we can substitute the given values into the formula:
Volume = 20 inches * 14 inches * 18 inches
Volume = 5040 cubic inches
Next, we need to convert the volume in cubic inches to gallons. To do this, we divide the volume by the conversion factor of 231 (since 231 cubic inches equals 1 gallon).
Number of gallons = Volume / 231
Number of gallons = 5040 cubic inches / 231 cubic inches/gallon
Now we calculate the answer:
Number of gallons = 5040 / 231
Number of gallons ≈ 21.82
Rounding to the nearest gallon, we find that the aquarium contains approximately 22 gallons of water.