Convert 40 ft of oil with a specific gravity of 0.8 to the equivalent ft of water.

To convert the height of oil to an equivalent height of water, you need to use the concept of specific gravity, which is defined as the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, typically water.

Specific gravity is used here to determine how the height of a column of oil compares to an equivalent height of water. The formula to convert the height of oil (in feet) to height of water (in feet) is:

Height of water = Height of oil × Specific gravity of oil

In this case, you have 40 ft of oil with a specific gravity of 0.8. By plugging in the numbers:

Height of water = 40 ft × 0.8 = 32 ft

Thus, the equivalent height of water for 40 ft of oil with a specific gravity of 0.8 is indeed 32 ft. This calculation illustrates the principle that lighter liquids will exert less pressure for the same height compared to heavier liquids, which is reflected in the specific gravity value.