Summary of the Data Collected

  Some students have a hard time making the calculations to arrive at your totals.

Some students used an online excel spreadsheet from the Internet to record and present gasoline demand...but several of the calculations were ridiculous, like 11,000 miles per gallon; cost 0 cents per mile...Many of you have the problem of NOT having number sense. A few students from a previous term had no problem driving a total 292 miles and averaging 12,500 miles per gallon????

If you have never programmed a spreadsheet, maybe you do it the old fashion way with a calculator as described below:
          

During the last week, after you fill your tank to finish the project, you will determine:

  1. The Total Miles driven; the Total Gallons Used; the Total Cost; and the Total Days of the Project.

 

Total Miles Driven:
Subtract your initial odometer reading from your final Odometer Reading

 

Total gallon Used:
Sum all your Gallons Purchased, except do not include the gallons recorded in your initial fill-up (Why?)

 

Total Cost:
Sum all your dollars spent during the project, except the initial fill-up. (Why?)

 

Total Days:
Use a calendar and count the number of days from the first fill-up to the last fill-up.
(For example: September 3 to December 14 is 27 days in Sept; 31 day in October, 30 days in November, and 14 days in December which totals 102 Days)

 

  1. Then you will compute the average MPG and the average cost per mile for the gasoline.

 

MPG = Total Miles Driven divided by Total Gallons Used

 

Average Cost Per Mile = Total Dollars Spent divided by Total Mile Driven

 

 

 

 

  1. You will also calculate your average daily mileage and your average daily gallons of gasoline used:

 Average daily Miles = Total Miles Driven divided by Total Days of the Project

 

Average Daily Gallons Used = Total Gallons Used divided by Total Days of the Project

 

  1.  How many times did you exceed 75 miles in one day?

(You may not be able to answer this. During the project, how many times did you go on a trip? My daughter lives in Holiday, FL with my two granddaughters. That is 251 miles each way. One or two trips to Holiday for me would skew my average daily miles.)

Statistics say that the average U.S. driver averages 29 miles per day-and this can be skewed if you took a long trip during the project to see if you are average.

 (For me, I live on the Southside and work at North campus, which is 30.9 miles from door to door. Just to go to work I drive 62 miles per day going to and from work. I am not the average driver.)


Are you?