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.