Question

A car with 12 gallons of gasoline drives 312 miles until the tank is empty.

Write a linear equation that describes the amount of gas left in the car, y, after driving x miles.
The linear equation is ________________. (Type your answer in slope-intercept form. Use integers or simplified fractions for any numbers in the expression.) *

Answer 1

The linear equation is 312 - (312/12) X = Y.

Explanation:

Given that a car with 12 gallons of gasoline drives 312 miles until the tank is empty, to determine a linear equation that describes the amount of gas left in the car, Y, after driving X miles, the following calculation must be performed:

312 - (312/12) X = Y

312 - 26X = Y

So, for example, if you were driving 4 miles, the equation would work as follows:

312 - 26 x 4 = Y

312 - 104 = Y

208 = Y