What does each inch difference in water column level represent in pressure?

In fluid mechanics, the pressure exerted by a column of fluid is directly proportional to the height of that column. For water, this relationship is quantified using the specific weight of water, which is approximately 62.4 pounds per cubic foot.

When focusing on the question about what each inch of water column represents in terms of pressure, one can derive the value by converting the height from inches to feet and then applying the specific weight of water. Since there are 12 inches in a foot, each additional inch of water column can be converted to feet by dividing by 12. Thus, 1 inch of water is equal to 1/12 feet.

To find the pressure associated with 1 inch of water, you multiply the height in feet by the specific weight of water (62.4 lb/ft³). Thus, the calculation is as follows:

Pressure (lb/ft²) = Height (ft) × Specific weight of water (lb/ft³)

Pressure = (1/12 ft) × (62.4 lb/ft³) ≈ 5.2 lb/ft².

This indicates that an increase of 1 inch in the water column corresponds to a pressure increase of approximately 5.