Question

A large commercial jet airplane burns approximately 5 gallons of fuel per mile flown, plus about 8500 gallons of fuel per trip to reach cruising altitude. With a useable fuel capacity of 50,000 gallons (there is additional fuel reserved for emergencies), describe the acceptable distance for which an airline could establish a non-stop flight.

For flights originating from Chicago, determine which cities in the table could be safely reached by a non-stop flight.

Answer 1

The acceptable distance for a non-stop flight is 8,300 miles.

To determine the acceptable distance for a non-stop flight, we can use the given information about fuel consumption and fuel capacity. Let D be the distance in miles.

The fuel consumption is given by the equation:

Fuel Consumption=5×D+8500

For a non-stop flight, the fuel consumption must be less than or equal to the useable fuel capacity:

5×D+8500≤50,000

Now, we can solve this inequality for

D to find the acceptable distance for a non-stop flight

5×D≤50,000−8500

5×D≤41,500

D ≤ 41,500/ 5

D ≤ 8,300

So, the acceptable distance for a non-stop flight is 8,300 miles.