You are planning a field trip for the school to go from Indianapolis to Orlando, Florida. A round trip is 2000 miles. The school bus will average 8 miles per gallon.

Question

How many gallons will the school bus need to make this round trip? If the cost is $3.50 per gallon of gas then what is the total fuel cost?

Write out and then solve. Show all of your steps.

Math

Answer 1

To solve for the number of gallons needed for the round trip and then determine the total fuel cost, we will proceed through the following steps:

Step 1: Calculate the total distance of the trip.

The round trip from Indianapolis to Orlando is given as 2000 miles.

Step 2: Determine the miles per gallon.

The school bus averages 8 miles per gallon.

Step 3: Calculate the total gallons needed.

To find out how many gallons of gas are needed for the trip, we will use the formula:

$$\text{Total Gallons}=\frac{\text{Total Distance}}{\text{Miles per Gallon}}$$

Substituting in our numbers:

$$\text{Total Gallons}=\frac{2000\text{ miles}}{8\text{ miles per gallon}}=250\text{ gallons}$$

Step 4: Calculate the total fuel cost.

To calculate the total cost of fuel, we use the formula:

$$\text{Total Fuel Cost}=\text{Total Gallons}\times \text{Cost per Gallon}$$

Substituting in the values we have:

$$\text{Total Fuel Cost}=250\text{ gallons}\times 3.50\text{ dollars per gallon}=875\text{ dollars}$$

Summary:

• Total gallons needed for the trip: 250 gallons
• Total fuel cost: $875

Thus, the school bus will need 250 gallons of gas for the round trip, and the total fuel cost will be $875.