What is the full (wet) weight per 50-foot section of 2½ inch hose?

• A. 110 pounds per 50-foot section
• B. 120 pounds per 50-foot section
• C. 138 pounds per 50-foot section
• D. 160 pounds per 50-foot section

Answer: (C)

This question is about adding together the water inside the hose with the hose’s own dry weight to get the full wet weight of a 50-foot section. Start with the water: the inner diameter is 2.5 inches, so the radius is 1.25 inches. The cross-sectional area is πr^2 ≈ π × (1.25)^2 ≈ 4.91 square inches. Over 50 feet, which is 600 inches long, the water volume is 4.91 × 600 ≈ 2946 cubic inches. That’s about 2946 / 1728 ≈ 1.704 cubic feet. Water weighs roughly 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, so the water inside weighs about 1.704 × 62.4 ≈ 106 pounds.

Now add the hose’s own dry weight for 50 feet. A typical dry weight for 2½ inch hose per 50 feet is around 30 pounds. Adding that gives about 106 + 30 ≈ 136 pounds, and manufacturing tolerances round this to about 138 pounds. So the full wet weight per 50-foot section is about 138 pounds. The other choices are farther from this realistic total, since they understate or overstate either the water content or the hose’s dry weight.