Thirty pounds is a relatively common measurement that people might give as an estimate of an object’s weight. However, 30 pounds is surprisingly heavy, and it can be hard to imagine how that weight feels.
Thinking about a few household items can help you better visualize 30 pounds.
Four Gallons of Water
Most people have carried a gallon of water, and many have a gallon or two of water right in their homes. One gallon of water weighs just slightly over 8 pounds.
This means that 4 gallons of water will weigh only a little over 30 pounds.
The weight of a gallon of water does not include the water’s container, so remember to consider that when estimating.
Also, if water is very cold, it will contract, which means that a gallon of cold water can actually weigh a little more than a gallon of room temperature or warm water.
A 50-Inch Television
A 50-inch flat-screen TV is one of the best ways to estimate weight because many of these televisions weigh exactly 30 pounds.
Exactly how much the TV weighs will depend on the brand and model, and the TV’s base can also add a slight bit of weight.
When shipping a TV, most companies state a shipping weight of around 40 pounds, as the box and padding that goes around the TV to protect it during transit can weigh a fair amount.
5 Cans of Crisco
Crisco is a type of vegetable shortening that’s used to make pastries or other delicious desserts. Shortening helps to give foods a buttery flavor and adds flakiness to things like pie crusts.
Crisco is often sold in 6-pound cans, so you would need five Crisco cans to equal 30 pounds.
Two Pressure Cookers
Pressure cookers are an excellent way to slow-cook meals or ensure that tougher cuts of meat come out tender and delicious.
Because they must sustain great pressure from the inside, these pots need to be large and thick, and this makes them heavy. One medium or large pressure cooker generally weighs about 15 pounds.
Imagining the weight of a pressure cooker can help you break down how much 30 pounds is.
A Heavy-Duty Stroller
Strollers are an easy way for parents to safely transport children. Many lightweight strollers, such as those designed for travel, can weigh as little as 6 or 7 pounds.
However, heavy-duty strollers or strollers intended for more than one child can often weigh as much or more than 30 pounds.
Whippet
Whippets are small dogs with lean bodies and long legs. They are similar in appearance to a greyhound. These little dogs make excellent pets, as they’re intelligent, energetic, and rarely bark.
In general, a healthy whippet should weigh between 25 and 35 pounds. Male dogs usually weigh a little bit more than females.
A Desktop Computer
Desktop computers can vary in weight depending on their specific components and intended use. However, many desktop computers weigh right around 30 pounds.
This is particularly true for gaming PCs, as they often have added components that offer smoother gameplay or better cooling and graphics.
A Bicycle
The weight of a bicycle depends on the brand, model, and the bike’s intended use. For example, road bikes, which are designed for speed, are usually relatively lightweight and only weigh about 17 pounds.
Mountain or hybrid bikes, however, are designed for more rugged terrain. For this reason, they are often heavier, and many bikes of these types weigh right around 30 pounds.
Two Upright Vacuums
Upright vacuums are designed to quickly and thoroughly vacuum large areas, such as a bedroom or living room carpet or rug.
One upright vacuum generally weighs between 13 and 18 pounds, depending on the specific brand and model. If you have ever lifted a vacuum, you can imagine a weight close to half of 30 pounds.
Doubling that weight in your mind can help you better visualize just how heavy 30 pounds is.
A Medium-Sized Rug
Rugs vary in weight depending on their size, thickness, and the materials they are made of. However, many medium rugs, such as an 8-foot circle, an 8 by 8 square, or an 8 by 11 rectangle, weigh about 25 or 26 pounds.
If you add a carpet pad, you can get a good feel for a weight of about 30 pounds.
Two Bowling Balls
Bowling balls must travel a long distance and still maintain enough force to knock over all of the pins at the end of the lane. Because of this, these balls need to be quite heavy.
Although bowling balls for kids usually only weigh about 6 pounds, most adult bowling balls weigh closer to 16 pounds.
If you’ve been bowling, you can easily imagine the weight of two bowling balls and can therefore imagine how heavy 30 pounds is.
