18 gallons is the same as how many liters? Hint: 1 gal ≈ 3.8 L Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To convert gallons to liters, you can use the conversion factor that 1 gallon is approximately equal to 3.8 liters. Therefore, to convert 18 gallons to liters, you can use the following calculation:
[
\text{liters} = \text{gallons} \times \text{conversion factor}
]
Substituting in the numbers:
[
\text{liters} = 18 \, \text{gallons} \times 3.8 \, \text{L/gallon}
]
Calculating this gives:
[
\text{liters} = 68.4 \, \text{L}
]
Thus, 18 gallons is approximately 68.4 liters when rounded to the nearest tenth.
Explanation of the Conversion Process
Understanding the conversion from gallons to liters is essential in fields such as cooking, science, and healthcare, where precise measurements are crucial. The gallon is a unit of volume commonly used in the United States, while liters are more widely used in the metric system, which is the standard in most countries worldwide.
- Conversion Factor: The first step in converting units is to identify the appropriate conversion factor. Here, we use the fact that 1 gallon is approximately equal to 3.8 liters. This means that for every gallon, you can expect to have about 3.8 liters.
- Multiplication: To convert 18 gallons to liters, you multiply the number of gallons (18) by the conversion factor (3.8 L/gallon). This multiplication allows us to change the measurement from one unit to another effectively.
- Rounding: After performing the calculation, it’s often necessary to round the result. In this case, 68.4 liters is already to the nearest tenth, so no further rounding is needed.
This method of conversion is applicable to any volume measurement when the appropriate conversion factor is known. Mastery of such conversions is essential in daily life, scientific calculations, and professional practices where accurate measurements are fundamental.