Gallons per minute to Cups per second conversion

How to convert gallons per minute to cups per second?

Sure, let's start with the conversion of 1 Gallon per minute (GPM) to Cups per second.

1. Unit Definitions and Conversion Factors:

   • 1 Gallon (US) = 16 Cups (US)
   • 1 minute = 60 seconds

2. Steps for Conversion:

   • Convert Gallons to Cups: 1 GPM means 1 gallon flows in 1 minute.
     • Since 1 Gallon = 16 Cups, 1 GPM = 16 Cups per minute.
   • Convert Cups per minute to Cups per second:
     • There are 60 seconds in a minute, so divide by 60.
     • $16 \text{ Cups per minute} \div 60 \text{ seconds per minute}$.

3. Calculation: $\frac{16 \, \text{Cups}}{60 \, \text{seconds}} = \frac{4}{15} \, \text{Cups per second} \approx 0.267 \, \text{Cups per second}$

So, 1 Gallon per minute is approximately 0.267 Cups per second.

Real World Examples of Gallons per Minute:

1. Shower Heads:

   • A standard shower head in the U.S. often flows at rates up to 2.5 GPM.
     • This would be: $2.5 \, \text{GPM} \times 0.267 \, \Big(\frac{\text{Cups}}{\text{second}}\Big) = 0.6675 \, \text{Cups per second}$

2. Garden Hose:

   • A typical garden hose can deliver around 10 GPM.
     • This would be: $10 \, \text{GPM} \times 0.267 \, \Big(\frac{\text{Cups}}{\text{second}}\Big) = 2.67 \, \text{Cups per second}$

3. Fire Hydrants:

   • Fire hydrants can deliver water at rates of up to 1,500 GPM.
     • This would be: $1500 \, \text{GPM} \times 0.267 \, \Big(\frac{\text{Cups}}{\text{second}}\Big) = 400.5 \, \text{Cups per second}$

4. Residential Faucets:

   • Typical residential kitchen faucets flow at approximately 1.5 to 2 GPM.
     • For 1.5 GPM: $1.5 \, \text{GPM} \times 0.267 \, \Big(\frac{\text{Cups}}{\text{second}}\Big) = 0.4005 \, \text{Cups per second}$

Understanding these conversions helps provide a tangible sense of various flow rates encountered in daily life.