Volume and distance

Volume and distance

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about converting gallons and miles to litres and kilometres.
Lia is driving a car that shows gallons on the fuel gauge and miles per hour on the speedometer. It travels 30 miles per gallon of petrol. Lia wants to know how many kilometres per litre this is.
 
Handy Hints: 600 ml = 1 pint (approximately)
8 pints = 1 gallon
30 miles = 50 kilometres (approximately)
1000 ml = 1 litre
 
Use these handy hints to answer the following questions.
 

Question 2Change answer

a)  How many kilometres does Lia's car travel on 1 gallon of petrol?  km

Question 2Change answer

b)  How many millilitres in 1 gallon? ml

Question 2Change answer

c)  How many litres in 1 gallon?  litres

Question 2Change answer

d)  How many kilometres does Lia's car travel on 1 litre of petrol?  km

Question 2Change answer

e)  How many litres of petrol will her car use for 100 kilometres?  litres
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pen and paper or online (with NO auto-marking).
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Measurement
Keywords: 
rates, distances, volume, conversion of units
Description of task: 
Students convert between millilitres, litres, pints and gallons, and kilometres and miles.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Measurement sense, sets 7-8
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
  

Y9 (05/1997)

Y10 (05/1997)
a) 50 km (approximately) moderate very easy
b) 4800 ml (approximately) moderate easy
c) 4.8 litres (approximately) difficult easy
d) 10.42 km (approximately)
[accept if = a) ÷ c)]		 very difficult difficult
e) 9.6 litres (approximately)
(= 4.8 ÷ 50 × 100)
[accept if = c) ÷ a) × 100]		 very difficult difficult
 
NOTE: If students have used more precise conversions their answers may vary from those quoted above.