A steel plate weighs 40 pounds per inch. What is the approximate weight of a steel plate 8 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, and 3 inches thick?

To determine the approximate weight of the steel plate, we need to calculate the volume of the plate and then multiply that by the weight per unit of volume.

First, convert the dimensions from feet to inches since the weight is given in pounds per inch. The plate measures 8 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 3 inches thick:

• Length: 8 ft × 12 inches/ft = 96 inches
• Width: 5 ft × 12 inches/ft = 60 inches
• Thickness: 3 inches

Next, compute the volume of the plate:

Volume = Length × Width × Thickness Volume = 96 inches × 60 inches × 3 inches = 17,280 cubic inches

Now, the weight of the plate can be calculated by multiplying the volume by the weight per cubic inch. Given that the steel weighs 40 pounds per inch, the calculation is:

Weight = Volume × Weight per inch Weight = 17,280 cubic inches × 40 pounds/inch = 691,200 pounds

However, the component to consider here is that a straight contribution of "40 pounds per inch" means the weight needs to be interpreted correctly taking into account the area of the square inches