September 2008
Problem of the Month

Gas Problem

A gas station in the town of Loveland sells gas at $3.76 per gallon while the stations here in Fort Collins sell gas at $3.99 per gallon.

If Loveland is 10.5 miles from Fort Collins and my car gets 32 mpg, how many gallons of gas would I need to buy in order to "break even," i.e., to drive from Fort Collins to Loveland and back and spend the same amount for gas as I would if I bought my gas in Fort Collins?

Solution to the Problem:

I would need to buy 10.739 gallons of gas to break even.

My car uses 21/32 gallons of gas to get to Loveland and back.

So, it costs 21/32 x $3.76 = $2.47 just to drive down and back.

Since there is a difference of 23 cents per gallon, I would have to buy 2.47 / .23 = 10.739 gallons to break even.

Correctly solved by:

1. David & Judy Dixon	Bennettsville, South Carolina
2. Tom Robb	John Handley High School Winchester, Virginia
3. Trey Briggs	Mountain View High School Mountain View, Wyoming
4. Richard K. Johnson	La Jolla, California

Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher