Suppose that the distance a car travels varies directly with the amount of gasoline it uses. A certain car uses

18
gallons of gasoline to travel
504
miles. How many miles can the car travel if it has
26
gallons of gasoline?

1 answer

Let's use the formula for direct variation:

distance = k * gasoline

where k is the constant of proportionality. We can find k by using the values given:

504 = k * 18

Solving for k:

k = 504/18 = 28

Now we can use this value of k to answer the question. If the car has 26 gallons of gasoline:

distance = k * gasoline = 28 * 26 = 728 miles

Therefore, the car can travel 728 miles with 26 gallons of gasoline.