Question

a family has two cars. The first car has a fuel efficiency of 20 miles per gallon of gas and the second has a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon of gas. During one particular week, the two cars went a combined total of 1150 miles for a total gas consumption of 45 gallons. How many gallons were consumed by each of the two cars that week?
Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

I know this is an easy question but I am horrible at math. If i could have help by someone explaining what I need to multiple or divide it would help me answer this question. I appreciate any help.

Answer 2

I just I dont understand how to add this together to come up with the correct answer. How do you corollate X+Y into know what the total gallons were used by each car. I just cant get my brain to understand how to get the answer.

Answer 3

first it helps to keep in mind, there are 4 unknowns

Answer 4

So what would the unknowns be? I seriously like havent done math in 13 plus years and am beyond frustrated right now and trying to re-learn and understand it. Im sorry for asking so many questions.

Answer 5

\[\red ? \]

Answer 6

you can ask all the questions you want

Answer 7

the more questions the better (thats how i figure out your difficulty)

Answer 8

do you agree with this equation
(# of gallons used) * (# miles / gal) = # miles driven

Answer 9

lets do a slightly easier approach

Answer 10

Im sorry. I just i see the numbers on the page and in my head i think okay this will be easy, but instead all i see is jumbled together. I try to understand it but it just looks like jumbled and my brain cant just understand how everything gets put together.

Answer 11

Let
x = # of miles driven by car 1
1150 - x = # of miles driven by car 2 , since they add up to 1150 miles

Answer 12

sometimes my first explanation does not make sense, so you ignore what i said earlier (do a mental reboot)

Answer 13

I am really bad at algebra. I kinda understand basic fractions and know multiplication but my brain is very slow on the x/y stuff if that makes sense?

Answer 14

yes

Answer 15

if you know the number of miles that car 1 has driven, you can find the number of miles of car 2

(car 1 miles ) + (car 2 miles) = 1150

Answer 16

okay I get that. they equal total 1150. So how do you figure out how you split that up. . Half of 1150 is 575. But car 1 only does 20mpg while car two does 30.

Answer 17

we don't the exact amount each car got (not necessarily split in the middle)

Answer 18

we don't know the exact amount each car got (not necessarily split in the middle)

Answer 19

Than how am I supposed to answer this question they want me to answer?

Answer 20

Let
x = # of miles driven by car 1
1150 - x = # of miles driven by car 2

do you agree so far

Answer 21

okay yes. I agree. But how do you figure out the number of miles driven by car 1? to come up with the numbers of car 2?

Answer 22

And see now im lost again. like i cant decipher it. hah whats ridic, is all i need is to pass one damn math class for my degree, on the damn deans list and I cant pass simple math.

Answer 23

sorry i made a typo (thats probably why it didn't make sense )

Answer 24

haha I doubt your typo stopped it from making sense for me. I just. Cant get it.

Answer 25

if you have a 100 mile trip, and your car gets 1/4 gallon per mile

Answer 26

25?

Answer 27

yes :)

Answer 28

you have used up 25 gallons of gas

Answer 29

Okay I think I kinda get it? I think what happens is my brain sees the X and then i get confused so I have to learn in my head to say gallons instead of X to understand it.

Answer 30

I still though on my own just dont get how you added that up to get the outcome. 30 1st. 15 2nd.

Answer 31

1st car DATA:
rate = 20 mi/gal ;
# of gallons consumed = x gal
distance = 20x miles
-------------------
2nd car DATA:
30 mi/gal
# of gallons consumed= 45-x gal
distance = 30(45-x) miles

Answer 32

So it would be 30 the first and 15 the second. ?

Answer 33

nope, these are still unknowns

Answer 34

we do know that
distance car 1 + distance car 2 = 1150 miles

Answer 35

so we can substitute

Answer 36

I guess I just dont understand than. If they are unknowns how is there an answer?

Answer 37

20x + 30 (45 - x ) = 1150

Answer 38

yeah? i know the miles but how do i get the actual answer for this question? is there no answer?

Answer 39

there is an answer

Answer 40

sorry if i confused you. i was just setting up the equations.

Answer 41

1st car DATA:
rate = 20 mi/gal ;
# of gallons consumed = x gal
distance_car_1 = 20x miles
-------------------
2nd car DATA:
30 mi/gal
# of gallons consumed= 45-x gal
distance_car_2 = 30(45-x) miles



distance_car_1 + distance_car_2 = 20x + 30(45-x)


but we know total distance of the two cars is 1150 miles


1150 = 20x + 30(45-x)

Answer 42

so what is the answer to it? how do these numbers create the answer?

Answer 43

now you solve for x

Answer 44

x? is the gallons?

Answer 45

Would the answer be 25 for the first car and 20 for the second?

Answer 46

yes x is the number of gallons consumed by car 1

Answer 47

and x = 20