To calculate the amount of energy released when 9.0 gallons of gasoline burn, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Convert gallons to liters.
Since most energy unit conversions are done using the metric system, it is helpful to convert gallons to liters. There are approximately 3.78541 liters in one gallon. So, to convert 9.0 gallons to liters, you would multiply 9.0 by 3.78541.
9.0 gallons * 3.78541 liters/gallon = 34.06869 liters
Step 2: Convert liters to cubic meters.
To proceed with the calculations, it's convenient to convert liters to cubic meters, as many energy conversion factors are expressed in this unit. Since there are 1000 liters in one cubic meter, you can convert liters to cubic meters by dividing the previous result by 1000.
34.06869 liters / 1000 = 0.03406869 cubic meters
Step 3: Determine the energy content of gasoline.
Gasoline has an energy content value called the lower heating value (LHV), typically measured in joules per cubic meter. The LHV of gasoline is approximately 31-33 megajoules per cubic meter. For simplicity, let's assume it to be 32 megajoules per cubic meter.
Step 4: Calculate the total energy released.
To calculate the total energy released, multiply the energy content (LHV) by the volume in cubic meters.
0.03406869 cubic meters * 32 megajoules/cubic meter ≈ 1.08909808 megajoules
Therefore, when 9.0 gallons of gasoline burns, approximately 1.089 megajoules of energy are released.
Keep in mind that the LHV value can vary depending on the composition and quality of gasoline.