# "An inch of ice on a power line can add 500 pounds of weight." Help me understand this

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-inch-of-ice-on-a-power-line-can-add-500-pounds-of-weight-help-me-understand-this/996250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-inch-of-ice-on-a-power-line-can-add-500-pounds-of-weight-help-me-understand-this/996250 "2024-01-18T00:43:07Z")\
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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-inch-of-ice-on-a-power-line-can-add-500-pounds-of-weight-help-me-understand-this/996250/5 "2024-01-18T01:05:15Z")

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I, too, think that pi needs to figure into your calculation. Also,  
[![](https://img.canarymedia.com/content/uploads/photo-1583858858612-24389f1019d7_2021-08-30-164643_oudd.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=864&s=a69eb89aab69a488eb514d860389beb8) ](https://img.canarymedia.com/content/uploads/photo-1583858858612-24389f1019d7_2021-08-30-164643_oudd.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=864&s=a69eb89aab69a488eb514d860389beb8)  
Multiply times eight, if your power lines look like this.

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