One pound per square inch of pressure is equivalent to how many feet of head of water?

One pound per square inch (psi) of pressure is equivalent to 2.31 feet of head of water. This conversion is based on the density of water and the gravitational force acting on it. The relationship can be derived from the formula that relates pressure, height of the fluid column, and specific weight of the fluid.

Water has a specific weight of approximately 62.4 pounds per cubic foot. Using this value, 1 psi can be converted to feet of head using the following calculation:

1 psi = 1 pound per square inch × (1 cubic foot / 62.4 pounds) = 0.01602 cubic feet per square inch.

To convert cubic feet to feet of head, we recognize that 2.31 feet of water column exerts 1 psi at sea level. Thus, if you divide the pressure in psi by the weight of water in psi per foot, you find that 1 psi equals roughly 2.31 feet of head.

Therefore, the correct choice of 2.3 feet reflects this established relation between pressure and head in hydraulic systems, making it the correct answer to the question.