Final answer:
When a car accelerates at a higher speed, it typically uses more fuel. However, once the car reaches a steady cruising speed, the fuel consumption remains relatively constant as long as the resistance forces, such as drag and friction, are constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fuel consumption of a car depends on several factors, including acceleration and speed. When a car accelerates at a higher speed, it typically uses more fuel.
This is because accelerating requires more energy to overcome the inertia of the car. However, once the car reaches a steady cruising speed, the fuel consumption remains relatively constant as long as the resistance forces, such as drag and friction, are constant.
For example, let's consider two cars, a Toyota Camry and a Hummer H2, both traveling at 70 km/h and 100 km/h with the same delta in acceleration.
The magnitudes of drag forces at these speeds will be different because the drag force is directly proportional to the drag area and the square of the velocity. The Toyota Camry will experience lower drag forces due to its smaller drag area compared to the Hummer H2, resulting in lower fuel consumption at the same speeds.