science

Stock tank

Stock tank is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stock tank rather than just read about it. In short: See Stock tank oil for oil industry stock tank definition. A stock tank is used to provide drinking water for animals such as cattle or horses.

Key takeaways

Stock tank belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stock tank to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stock tank from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

See Stock tank oil for oil industry stock tank definition. A stock tank is used to provide drinking water for animals such as cattle or horses. Stock tanks can range in size from 100 liters to over 5500 liters (30 to 1500 gallons) and typically are made of galvanized steel. These tanks are filled either by a pump, windpump, creek, spring, rely on runoff water from rain or melting snow, or from water hauled to them in a truck. In some parts of Texas, ranchers refer to ponds and watering holes as stock tanks.

Trick tank A trick tank is type of stock tank. It collects precipitation, holds the water in a covered tank to minimize evaporation and maintain adequate water quality, and dispenses water on demand into a basin from which animals can drink. Dispensing may be regulated by a mechanical float device similar to a ballcock in the tank of a flush toilet. Trick tanks are manufactured in several styles, including inverted umbrella and apron. They are heavy and often are used in remote wilderness locations, to which they may require delivery via helicopter. To provide water to wild animals, not livestock, fencing may be built to surround a trick tank. Fences serve to exclude cattle and sheep. Trick tanks are widely used in the southwest United States, where periodic droughts may cause population crashes in game animals unless water supplies are provided.

Other uses

Stock tanks are increasingly used as "rustic" backyard above-ground pools, or "stock tank pools" by retrofitting a filter pump and adding chlorine or stabilized hydrogen peroxide to keep the water clean throughout the summer. The water will need to be drained periodically and can be reused to water plants if hydrogen peroxide is used. Metal stock tanks have also been used as a cheap alternative for a hot tub. Various heating methods are possible, including use of a propane heater or submersible wood stove. Another use of a stock tank is at a fair or other event where they are filled with ice to keep canned and bottled beverages, or even perishables such as watermelons. A cowboy church commonly uses a stock tank for water baptisms. Stock tanks can also make perfect indoor habitats for aquatic pets, such as fish, turtles or frogs. Tackle shops are known to store minnows for fishing in them.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stock tank

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stock tank claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stock tank before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stock tank ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stock tank

In research: Stock tank appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stock tank in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stock tank is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Livestock, Water conservation tools, Water supply, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stock tank outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Stock tank in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stock tank means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stock tank out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stock tank in simple terms?

See Stock tank oil for oil industry stock tank definition. A stock tank is used to provide drinking water for animals such as cattle or horses.

Why does Stock tank matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stock tank?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stock tank.