Gasoline Math
April 11, 2013
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Gasoline Math -- Tougher Than It Looks
Do you drive differently when gas prices zoom closer to $4.00/gallon?
I know I do.
I not only drive less but I plan trips more carefully -- thinking a bit more before heading out on a list of "honey-do" projects . . . paying more attention to my route . . . always trying to navigate the shortest distance between stops.
I guess that's pretty normal for all of us.
But crazy, day-to-day, massive fluctuations in gas pricing add even a more subtle twist to the already complicated arithmetic equation of automobile travel.
It's obvious, at least to me, that now I need to consider what priced gas I'm actually burning at the exact moment of travel.
Here's an example . . . Now, Stay with me, Reader . . . Try to follow . . . I'll type slowly.
On a recent three-day trip
A Simple 100 miles -- out and back
A Simple 100 miles -- out and back
On the way out of town, gas prices were $3.64/gallon.
I bought all the fuel that my Tundra could hold.
By the time I arrived at Baldwin and spent two days fishing, gas prices had ballooned to $3.95.
I bought only a 1/2 tank and headed back to Bay City.
Two days later, I filled up in town at $3.84. Fast-forward to today -- a couple of days later.
Gas prices dipped to $3.58 and I still have a half a tank.
Right.
I filled 'er up.
Are you still with me? The problem is obvious . . . I got four different priced gasolines in my Tundra.
I'm sure you know about inventory control. Everyone understands the FIFO concept. (First In . . . First Out)
Stay with me . . .
I still have a bit of that original $3.64 gallon gas in my tank . . . along with some $3.95 gasoline . . . which I poured some $3.84 gas on top of . . . and then topped the whole tank off with today's $3.58 gallon fuel.
I ask you this question?
What priced gas am I driving on today?
I have no clue.
I asked my friendly gas station owner if it was "OK" to mix $3.58 gasoline with $3.95 gasoline.
He said . . . "It's OK to mix regular gas with premium gasolines. People do it all the time."
I said . . . "NO . . . It's all REGULAR."
He knew exactly what I meant and nodded knowingly. I think he was trying to hold back a smile. "You're a funny guy," he said.
Now, I wonder if I should drive more slowly so that the higher price fuel in my tank doesn't mix with the cheaper stuff that I just bought.
Gasoline is fed by gravity into the car's engine and fuel system.
But I have never seen it (in writing) whether more expensive gas is heavier than cheaper gasoline.
So I asked a person that is an expert on gas . . .Josh Sharrow.
Sharrow didn't even flinch at the question . . . "You get what you pay for," Sharrow said without hesitation. "More expensive gasoline has to be heavier. That's why I voted for OBama."
So . . . according to Sharrow . . . the expensive (heavy gas) always sinks to the bottom -- And, he should know.
That's an important part of gasoline math to remember . . .
Do you think my Tundra knows what priced gas it's burning when I pull away from a red-light at Wenona and Midland (Headed West) and have to "floor it" to get to the front of the line before the idiot next to me pushes me up on the sidewalk.
I sure hope so . . . I've got more than enough math problems already.
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O. J. Cunningham |
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