Nicholas Welch

MAE 1010

Problem:

The fixed cost per year of operating an automobile is approximately 20.% of the initial price of the
automobile. The total operating cost per mile = 0.20/year × (purchase price of automobile)/(miles driven
per year) + (price of gasoline/gallon) × (gallons used per mile). Assume that the automobile is driven
2.0 ∗ 104 miles per year and that gasoline costs $5.00/gallon. Also assume that the purchase price of
automobiles varies with weight according to the formula
$8.00
𝑝𝑎 = 𝑊 ∗
lbf

and that the gas mileage varies according to

84500 mi lbf 𝑚𝑖
𝑚𝑔 = − 3.0
𝑊 gal gal
where W is the weight of the automobile in units of lbf (pound force). Graph the cost per mile of
operating a car as a function of the car's weight in increments of 500.00 lbf from 2000.0 lbf to 5000.0
lbf. What range of automobile weights cost less than $0.60/mi to operate?

Need:

• Operating cost of automobiles in $/mi for vehicles ranging from 2000lbf to 5000lbf.

Know:
$8.00
𝑝𝑎 (Purchace Price) = 𝑊(Weight) ∗
lbf
84500 mi lbf 𝑚𝑖
𝑚𝑔 (Gas Mileage) = − 3.0
𝑊(Weight in lbf) gal gal
Operating Cost . 20 pa Price of gasoline gal
=( )( )+( )( )
Mile year Miles driven per year gal mi

• Price of gasoline = $5.00 per gallon

• Automobile is driven 20,000 miles

How:

1. In Excel, I will make a column for the weight of the automobiles ranging from 2000-5000lbf in
increments of 500lbf.
2. I will use the data from column A to plug W into the equation for Purchase Price (𝑝𝑎 ) listed
above and have Excel calculate the values for column B.
 3. Using the weights 𝑊 from column A, I will plug my Gas Mileage (𝑚𝑔 ) equation into Excel and
hope it will give me reasonable figures for Gas mileage in $/mi for column C.
4. Using the operating cost per mile equation I came up with above, I will plug in values for price of
gasoline as well as miles driven, and plug the equation into excel, gathering data from columns B
and C to calculate the operating cost in $/mi rounded to 1 significant figure in column D.
5. I will use Excel’s Graph tool to relate automobile weight to cost of operation per mile
graphically.

Solve:
Weight (lbf) Purchase Price ($) Gas Mileage (mi/gal) Operating cost ($/mi)
2000 16000 39.3 0.3
2500 20000 30.8 0.4
3000 24000 25.2 0.4
3500 28000 21.1 0.5
4000 32000 18.1 0.6
4500 36000 15.8 0.7
5000 40000 13.9 0.8

0.8 0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.6
Operating Cost ($/mi)

0.5
0.5 0.4

0.4 0.4
0.3
0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
Automobile Weight (lbf)

Automobiles in the weight range of 2000 < 𝑊 < 4000 lbf will cost less than $.60/mi to operate.