A Mathematical Look at Fountains and Pools 5. Once you find a fountain or pool, try to figure out how much water it contains. Using what you know about calculating volumes and measurement skills, estimate how many cubic feet of water are in the pool or fountain. One cubic foot of water contains 7.48 gallons of water. Calculate how many gallons of water it takes to fill the fountain or pool.
Water is a pretty heavy liquid, which explains why most people float in water instead of sink.
It turns out that 1 gallon of water weighs approximately 8.57 pounds. With the help of a couple of meter sticks or yardsticks, you can figure out the height of some tall objects like a tree or flagpole. There is a direct relationship between the height of an object and the length of its shadow. This relationship is the same for all things if the measurements are taken at the same time of day, which means the sun is in the same spot. Find something tall so that you can measure its height.