How do I compare mpg and km/L fuel economy?

Convert miles per gallon to kilometers per liter or vice versa and then compare the two numbers directly.

Miles per gallon tells you how many miles a car goes on one gallon of fuel, and kilometers per liter tells you how many kilometers it goes on one liter of fuel. To change miles per gallon into kilometers per liter multiply by point four two five because one mile equals one point six zero nine three four kilometers and one gallon equals three point seven eight five four one liters, which simplifies to about point four two five when you divide kilometers per mile by liters per gallon; to change kilometers per liter into miles per gallon multiply by about two point three five because you are reversing the same factors. Pick one unit and convert the other number so both are in the same unit, then the larger final number means better fuel economy for that chosen unit.

A common mistake is converting only one part of the ratio, like changing miles to kilometers but forgetting gallons to liters, and that gives a wrong result; always convert both distance and volume so the units match. Some students plug in rounded conversion factors that are too rough and lose accuracy, so use the factors with at least three significant digits or the rounded multipliers given here to keep results reliable. Another error is comparing the numbers without noticing whether higher means better and that depends on the unit you chose, so remember higher numbers mean better economy for both miles per gallon and kilometers per liter.

For more videos and step by step examples on unit conversion and fuel economy visit w w w dot gumball degree dot com.

Compare mpg and km/L Fuel Economy

1. Convert mpg to km/L
2. Multiply by 0.425
3. Convert km/L to mpg
4. Multiply by 2.35
5. Use same units to compare
6. Larger number means better economy

Common Fuel Economy Mistakes

1. Converting only distance but not volume
2. Using overly rough conversion factors
3. Comparing numbers without unit context

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