Science Simulations, Technology Simulations, Engineering Simulations, Mathematics Simulations
Lesson 1: Miles per Gallon
The price of gasoline is one of the main factors that affect the costs of driving a vehicle. For a company with a large fleet of vehicles, a small rise in the price of fuel can result in much higher costs for the company. Higher costs often mean that the company will make less money. Can you find out a vehicle’s fuel mileage? Get ready to have a gas.
Here are some definitions to help you in your investigation.
Vehicle - a car, truck, or SUV
Gasoline - a common fuel used in many vehicles. Gasoline is made by refining oil removed from the ground.
Fuel - materials that are used to make heat or power
Distance - how far something has moved
Mileage - the number of miles moved
Miles - a unit of measure of distance moved
Fleet - a group of vehicles owned by a company
Natural resource - materials and substances that occur in nature
Limited resource - resources that can be used up in a short period of time and more of the resource cannot be easily made
Unlimited resource - resources that cannot be used up in a short period of time
Efficient - preventing the waste of a resource
Doing the science
- Start the Fleet Manager Simulation by clicking on the “Simulation” tab.
- Select one of the vehicles in the fleet.
- Select the “Use” button, then the “Drive” button. When the vehicle completes the route, select the “Status” button.
- Record the Vehicle name, Total Distance Driven, and Fuel Used in Table 1.
- Calculate and record in Table 1 the Miles per Gallon rating of the vehicle. To calculate the Miles per Gallon, divide the Total Distance Driven by the amount of Fuel Used.
- Close the box by selecting the “X” in the upper right-hand corner, and then select the “Fleet” button.
- Select a different vehicle and repeat steps 3-6. Test a total of five different vehicles.