A geologist finds an old report on stream discharge and reads a value of "20",but the rest of the page is cut off.Which of the following could be the appropriate value and units for the discharge of a stream?
A) 20 meters per second
B) 20 cubic meters per second
C) 20 square meters per second
D) 20 seconds per cubic meter

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stream discharge is typically measured in cubic meters per second, which represents the volume of water flowing past a given point in the stream in one second. Choice A (meters per second) would represent the velocity of the water, not the volume. Choice C (square meters per second) does not make sense as it implies a measure of area instead of volume. Choice D (seconds per cubic meter) also does not make sense as it does not represent a meaningful measure of stream discharge.

A Geologist Finds an Old Report on Stream Discharge and Reads