Kala drove 268 miles using 12 gallons of gas. At this rate, how many miles would she drive using 9 gallons of gas?
Understand the Problem
The question asks us to calculate how many miles Kala would drive using 9 gallons of gas, given that she drove 268 miles using 12 gallons of gas. We need to use proportional reasoning to solve this problem.
Answer
201
Answer for screen readers
201
Steps to Solve
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Find the miles per gallon To find the rate, we divide the total miles driven by the number of gallons used. $$ \frac{268 \text{ miles}}{12 \text{ gallons}} $$
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Calculate the miles per gallon Divide 268 by 12. $$ \frac{268}{12} = 22.333... \text{ miles/gallon} $$
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Determine the miles driven with 9 gallons Multiply the miles per gallon by the new number of gallons (9). $$ 22.333... \text{ miles/gallon} \cdot 9 \text{ gallons} $$
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Calculate the total miles $$ 22.333... \cdot 9 = 201 $$ Rounding to the nearest whole mile, Kala would drive 201 miles.
201
More Information
The problem is solved using ratios and proportions. We find the rate of miles per gallon and then use that rate to predict how many miles can be driven with a different amount of gallons.
Tips
A common mistake is setting up the proportion incorrectly. For example, one might try to equate $\frac{12}{268}$ with $\frac{x}{9}$ instead of $\frac{12}{268}$ with $\frac{9}{x}$ and then incorrectly solve for $x$.
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