For a pipe that is pitched at a specific angle, if the rise was increased to 1/4 inch per foot over the same 72 foot distance, what would the difference in elevation be?

To determine the difference in elevation given an increase in the rise to 1/4 inch per foot over a 72-foot distance, we first need to calculate the total elevation gain.

If the pipe pitches at 1/4 inch per foot, this means that for every foot of length, the elevation rises by 1/4 inch. Therefore, for a pipe that is 72 feet long, we multiply the rise per foot by the total length:

1/4 inch per foot x 72 feet = 18 inches.

This calculation assesses the elevation increase caused by the specified pitch. Thus, the correct answer is that the difference in elevation is 18 inches, which corresponds to one of the options provided.

The choice indicating 14 inches does not account for the entire length of the pipe at the specified rise. The choices of 15 and 16 inches also do not reflect the accurate multiplication of rise per foot across the 72-foot stretch. Hence, the answer aligns precisely with the calculated elevation gain.