A certain European automobile has a gas mileage of 19 km>L. What is the gas mileage in miles per gallon?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the conversion factors needed: 1 mile = 1.60934 kilometers and 1 gallon = 3.78541 liters.
2. Convert kilometers to miles by dividing the given kilometers per liter (19 km/L) by the conversion factor for kilometers to miles (1.60934 km/mile).
3. Convert liters to gallons by multiplying the result from the previous step by the conversion factor for liters to gallons (3.78541 L/gallon).
4. Combine the conversions to find the gas mileage in miles per gallon (mpg).
5. Ensure the units cancel appropriately, leaving you with miles per gallon as the final unit.

Key Concepts

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one set of units to another. In this case, we need to convert kilometers per liter (km/L) to miles per gallon (mpg). This involves using conversion factors, such as knowing that 1 kilometer is approximately 0.621371 miles and 1 liter is about 0.264172 gallons.

Dimensional Analysis

Dimensional analysis is a mathematical technique used to convert one unit of measurement to another by multiplying by conversion factors. It ensures that units cancel appropriately, leading to the desired unit. This method is particularly useful in chemistry and physics for ensuring that calculations yield results in the correct units.

Gas Mileage

Gas mileage refers to the distance a vehicle can travel per unit of fuel consumed, typically expressed in miles per gallon (mpg) or kilometers per liter (km/L). Understanding gas mileage is important for evaluating fuel efficiency and environmental impact, as it indicates how much fuel is needed for a given distance.