AutomotiveFuelConsumption

I travel a lot with one of my Daughters. While we were in the car, We were figuring out the fuel consumption at various distances. I knew that on average, my automobile uses 8 l of gasoline for every 100 km. I had my daughter figure out how much fuel was used for 10 kilometres (800 ml), 1 km (80 ml), 100 m (8 ml), 10 m (0.8 ml), etc. That was a fun exercise and it was easy. This assumes that the car mechanics are constant. For an 11 year old, we can make that assumption.

Looking at the GPS, we were able to quickly calculate the amount of fuel required to travel to Zeeks Pizza in Seattle. Given the cost of fuel, we were also able to determine the cost of travel. How much per km for example. It was a neat math lesson that has an application in the real world.

My car has a 65 l tank, so we know our approximate range too. After we ate, I switched gears. How many gallons of fuel will we use on our way home? How many ounces of fuel do we use in 100 ft. How about half a mile? What about the cost per mile, yard, foot, etc. Of course I was talking fluid ounces right not weight. She got the idea quickly. What a pain to try to figure out the imperial side of things while driving. She had a hard time even when using a calculator.