Final answer:
To determine how many people the aircraft can carry safely with a full fuel load, you need to consider the fuel efficiency of the aircraft. By comparing the fuel economy of the aircraft when 80% full to that of a car, you can calculate the gas mileage needed by the car to beat the airplane. This will help you determine the number of people the aircraft can carry with a full fuel load.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine how many people the aircraft can carry safely with a full fuel load, we need to consider the fuel efficiency of the aircraft. The information provided states that when the aircraft is 80% full, it achieves an effective fuel economy of 72 m.p.g. per passenger. To match this energy expenditure by car, which achieves 24 m.p.g., we need to calculate the gas mileage of the car that would beat the airplane.
The question states that three people are traveling a distance of 700 km. Given that the airplane would get 90 miles per gallon per passenger if it were full, we can calculate the gas mileage needed by the car to beat the airplane.
Solution:
- Calculate the total fuel consumption of the airplane for the given distance, assuming full fuel load and carrying capacity of three passengers. (Fuel Consumption = Distance / (Miles Per Gallon Per Passenger * Number of Passengers))
- Set up an equation to find the gas mileage needed by the car to match this fuel consumption. (Gas Mileage = Distance / Fuel Consumption)
- Solve the equation to find the gas mileage needed by the car. (Gas Mileage = Distance / Fuel Consumption)
By following these steps, you can calculate the gas mileage needed by the car to beat the airplane and determine how many people the aircraft will carry safely with a full fuel load.