Question

Have vehicles gotten more fuel-efficient over the years? Between 1960 and 1999 the size and shape of automobiles in the United States has changed almost annually. The amount of fuel consumed by these vehicles has also changed. The following table describes the average fuel consumption per year per passenger car in gallons of gasoline.

Year, t 1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 1997 1998 1999
Gallons Consumed Per Passenger Car
668
760
576
520
530
538
544
552

Determine the average rate of change, in gallons of fuel used per passenger car, from 1960 to 1970.

Answer 1

The average rate of change in gallons of fuel used per passenger car from 1960 to 1970 is 9.2 gallons/year.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the average rate of change in gallons of fuel used per passenger car from 1960 to 1970, we need to calculate the difference in fuel consumption between these two years and divide it by the number of years.

1. From the table, the fuel consumption in 1960 was 668 gallons and in 1970 it was 760 gallons.
2. Subtract the fuel consumption in 1960 from the fuel consumption in 1970: 760 - 668 = 92 gallons.
3. Dividing the difference by the number of years: 92 gallons / 10 years = 9.2 gallons/year.

The average rate of change in gallons of fuel used per passenger car from 1960 to 1970 is 9.2 gallons/year.

Answer 2

Average rate of change is the slope of two coordinate points or values.
Therefore,
Given values are :
(1960,668) and (1970,760)
Slope = (760 - 668)/(1970 - 1960)
Slope = 92/10
Rate of change will be 9.2 gallons/passenger