How to Measure the Base Weight of Carpeting

Find the base weight of carpet using simple mathematics.

The base weight of carpeting only includes the weight of the carpet itself without any padding or extra materials. The weight of a substance is related to its weight density and volume. Weight density describes the compactness of a material in pounds per cubic foot. For example, the weight density of steel is about 490 pounds per cubic foot. The volume of an object quantifies how much space it occupies in cubic feet.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the length, width and thickness of the carpet in inches. For example, the measurements might be a length of 180 inches, a width of 144 inches and a thickness of 2 inches.

2. Change the dimensions of the carpet to feet by dividing by 12. Using the above example, this calculation produces a length of 15 feet, a width of 12 feet and a thickness of 0.17 feet.

3. Determine the volume of the carpet. Multiply the length times the width times the thickness to obtain the volume of the carpet in cubic feet. In the example, 15 times 12 times 0.17 equals 30.6 cubic feet.

4. Figure the base weight. Multiply the volume by the weight density of the carpet to get the base weight of the carpet in pounds. Consult the carpet's manufacturer for the weight density. Each type of carpet will be slightly different. Assume a weight density of 0.5 pounds per cubic foot for the sample exercise. Completing the example, you arrive at 30.6 cubic feet times 0.5 pounds per cubic foot, which equals a base weight of 15.3 pounds.

References

• Georgia State University: Density
• "Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics"; Raymond A. Serway and John W. Jewett; 2009
• Wolfram Mathworld: Volume