Question

A driver is monitoring his car's gasoline consumption for 3 weeks. If the car consumes 2 4/5 gallons the first week, 3 2/3 gallons the second week, and 5 5/6 gallons the third week, what is the average weekly gasoline consumption?

Answer 1

To find the average weekly gasoline consumption, the total amount of gasoline used over the three weeks, which is 2 4/5 + 3 2/3 + 5 5/6 gallons, is first converted to improper fractions and summed up. Then, the sum is divided by three to get the average, yielding 4 1/10 gallons per week.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the average weekly gasoline consumption, we need to add up the total gasoline used over the three weeks and then divide by three, the number of weeks.

The total gasoline consumption over the three weeks is calculated as:

• 2 4/5 gallons for the first week.
• 3 2/3 gallons for the second week.
• 5 5/6 gallons for the third week.

First, we convert each mixed number to an improper fraction:

• 2 4/5 = 14/5
• 3 2/3 = 11/3
• 5 5/6 = 35/6

Next, we find a common denominator and add the fractions:

14/5 + 11/3 + 35/6 = (84/30) + (110/30) + (175/30) = 369/30

The sum 369/30 gallons represents the total gasoline used over the 3 weeks. To find the average, we divide this sum by 3:

369/30 ÷ 3 = 369/90 = 4 1/10 gallons

Thus, the average weekly gasoline consumption is 4 1/10 gallons.