Okay folks, it's been a long time since I had to solve any math problems and I never was much good at it anyhow. So if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it (this is a real-life story problem, by the way).

If a tanker is carrying 4000 gallons of diesel fuel, 9400 gallons of gasoline, and the total combined value is $29600, what is the individual value of each fuel?

The way I see it the equation should be written
4000x + 9400y = 29600 (I think) but after that I'm at a loss as my already meager math skills have seriously eroded after 20-some years of being out of school.

Thanks for any help!

You need more information.

You have the correct equation, but you have one equation and two unknowns. Can't be done.

You must have the price per gallon for at least one of the contents in the tanker.

Agreed. If not, the price for the diesel and gas would be the same.

Has to be in Michigan because it weighs around 40 tons, but that doesn't help your equation out.
Think Snow! -Dave

You can only find the line (on a graph) where all values (x,y coordinates) make the equation true. Like if X = 0, then Y = 3.1489. If Y = 0, then X = 7.4. So you know the maximums, but any combination between the two can make the equation work. So you'll never know which one it is. You can make a reasonable guess, like if the diesel is around $2.60/gal, then you can find what the gas would be. But there is a nearly unlimited number of solutions (cominations of X and Y) that can solve the problem. So it's anything on the line represented by (0,3.15);(7.4,0).

Now, if you had a second equation that was true for your situation (say, 5000x + 8400Y = 31000), then you can solve one equation for one of the variables, and then substitute the answer for the variable solved, into the second equation, and gain the answer for one of the variables, then solve for the other using the obtained value.

But, we don't have that second equation, so we can't, and thus we are left with a large set of possible solutions, although someone could come up with the ones that are reasonable (knowing the fact that gas or diesel isn't free....)

I love math. Not a math teacher, but always like to solve problems....

If its coming to the Minocqua area it will be 10 cents per gallon higher than california

You know, I did seem to recall something about not being able to solve for two unknowns, but I didn't trust my memory and just wrote it off as poor math skills. I guess they aren't as poor as I thought.

It's not a huge issue, I was just trying to figure out the value of the fuel in the semi's tank (not the tanker trailer itself) for contents loss in a fire report. It's just an estimate anyhow, doesn't have to be exact. But being a sucker for detail, I tried to make it harder than it has to be.

Thanks to all for their input!

I'd say print this off and take it back to the professor.

Better have Nash check it first though.

Russ,
You're on the right track. Using your equation you either need to know the value of x or y to give you one equation with one unknown or the relationship of x to y giving you a second independent equation. Do you know the relative cost of diesel and gasoline?

Hmmm, Let's see, I am going to take a wild stab at this & I am definetly no math expert so please excuse my ignorance. I am thinking that the key here is the percentage of the Diesel to Gasoline. Based on the total of fuel carried, 29.85074% is diesel, x 13,400 gal= $8,837.79 of diesel, $20,762.21 of Gasoline. ?????-Mezz

mezz, Those numbers are correct, but only if the price of gas and diesel were exactly the same. There is no way of answering this problem without more info.

I was taking a stab at it based on the current price of Diesel & Reg Unleaded which are now the same price.-Mezz

Good point. They are very close in price right now.

My dad would have said: "First you have to take the angle of the dangle and then divide by pie-eyed-squared!

-John

I'm guessing the trucking company that owned the semi and tanker didn't pay retail for the fuel, so I was trying to figure out what they DID pay. I guess if I really wanted to know that badly I could just call them and ask, but the report only asks for an estimate so that's what I'll put in it. Besides, in the grand scheme of things (an incident that resulted in well over $2,000,000 in damages), if my estimate is off a few thousand one way or the other it really isn't going to matter!

The angle of the dangle & pie-eyed-squared. A true fraternal equation! LOL!Welcome home.-Mezz

Russ, your right, it probably won't matter as the Insurance company will have an adjuster whom will finalize the detail. Your report for the department is exactly that, an estimated amount of damages in the incident. By the way, if you are a true friend, you will let your friends ride a Cat! LOL!-Mezz

I was going to go there Mezz, but figure this was a family site.

is this all about the tanker fire on I-75 and 9 mile?

Jim, yes it is.

Mezz, actually one of my best riding buddies rides a Cat. That quote was for him, because he loves it when we bust his chops about it!

Russ, It's all good! I like to throw my .02 in on Cat comments. No harm, no foul. As long as you ride, it matters not to me what your on. -Mezz

If, as you say, an estimate will work then $8580 for diesel and $21,020 for gas, assuming all sells at $2.145 per gal

Do you include the road tax if the fuel wasn't consumed in an internal combustion engine on the road?

Just making trouble...

Thanks, Todd, for taxing (no pun intended) my pea brain even more!

Hey....umm...... where is frnash?
I have said it before this site has a lot of potential. Very educational. I could almost earn a degree.

Hey John, how does this sound......Welcome to John Dee University, you can get a BA in BS, and an IOU to the IRS, and be a member of I PHELTA THIGH fraternity.

Stop the sudz for hotwire....he's looped...

Pssst.....Nash is a figment of our imagination. He is really a spell checker in siber space....with one kee stuck, and the other one in the water full time...if you know what I mean.

Russ...so, the gasoline tanker company is lying about the REAL value of the fuel in the tank, eh?

First of all, everyone knows you don't mix diesel with gasoline or it won't work in EITHER car or tractor.

Secondly, these companies have more money than all snowmobiler's stacked on end...so they won't miss a tiny smig of that stuff gone up in smoke.

And lastly...who cares???

John...your Dad was crazy with the heat....pie is NEVER SQUARE, and is always round...remember, 3.12.....etc, etc, etc.....

Well, I don't know as though they're lying about the value of the fuel. I'm not playing detective, I just needed a number to plug into the report otherwise the the computer program won't accept the report as complete. And apparently the tanker was compartmented so it could carry both fuels without them mixing -- at least, until it overturned and resulted in one very large bonfire, the likes of which I'd never seen up close and personal before and hope to never see again in my career!

Booondocker, from experience, mixed diesel and gas (4 gal gas/ 7 gal diesel) will work in a cat 800 triple, as long as you keep the rpms over 7 grand. You don't have to worry about anyone coming up behind you.

hotwire:
"where is frnash?"
Sorry to disappoint y'all, but FRNash passed away from a heart attack at about 7:30PM on Wed, August 5,2009.

No, I'm not kidding!

Fortunately this event occurred in a wheel chair adjacent to the ER admissions desk at John C. Lincoln Hospital, Phoenix,AZ, after a 2.5 mile ride at land-speed-record speeds from home to the hospital.

After about six hours of furious work, a team of 7-8 physicians and surgeons plus other related medical personnel had completed the resurrection by about 1:30AM on Thursday, August 6. I am writing this on a borrowed computer from the hospital. With any luck they'll finally kick me out of here tomorrow.

Issues like this were what convinced me to sell the house in Chassell, MI instead of actually selling the one in Phoenix and moving back to da UP.

If this event occurred in Chassell, I would very likely not be be writing this now!

Glad to here you're still with us.

Did you get to see the light?

Wow, glad you are still alive, hope all is well now!!

I betcha that heart attack was caused by all that stinkin heat down there!!! lol.

Either that, or it couldn't handle all the misspelled werds on hear.

Wow FR, the first part of your story stinks but I'm glad to hear about the ending!

Hopefully they'll be kicking you out because you're healed, and not because you're driving them crazy?

Godspeed on your recovery!

Wow... Nash

Im glad to hear that you are still with us.

It took 8 of those the physician fellas to put in
a couple of stints?

Sheeeez no wonder why the cost of
healthcare has skyrockted!!

Get some rest and layoff tha pasties for
while!

M

You cant leave us just yet Father Nash, we dont have spelchek yet!! Get well soon!

frnash...
best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Geeze-o-pete! That is startling, sure hope that your recovery goes well. I agree with skylar, the friggin outlandish heat has taken a toll on you. You should re-think the "Freshest Cleanest Air on Earth"! Besides, it's much easier to get warm than it is to get cool. You only take so many clothes off. LOL! Get well soon.-Mezz

Briefly back on topic, I would safely assume the declared value of the fuel on board the truck would reflect wholesale value, not price at the pump, keep in mind, this is Michigan. Current retail for Diesel & Reg Unleaded $2.66, per gal -Mezz

solve for "x" in terms of "y" first. plug that answer into the original equation and solve for "y". simple algebra.

x = the .51 cents per gallon Federal subsidy for ethanol?

y = Our willingness to just keep paying more and more taxes and not demand accountability from those in charge of spending it.

Geez NASH....you gave us a pretty good ride there...and I was feeling bad about the computer glitch thingy....

But now that your alive and around to straighen out us folks who have a hard time read'n and righten and as above shows...do'n dah ritmatic....I can rest asured again that the NASH master will be at his own puter with all that tape and wire and such holding it together and pounding out the keys and doing the cyfering and research we all have come to expect from the great and wonderous OZ...I mean NASH...

In other words...get dah heack out of dat hospital and get back to where you can REALLY rest....lizzards or no lizzards.

As you can see....the spelling is already going to hek and a hand basket, and jist eggxactly WHO is going to keep us in line if YU don't do it???

Keep us possed on yur progress.....darn thumbs....

NASH, I understand where your coming from. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw booon say pi was 3.12, it is 3.14... Was it the bad math in combination with the bad spelling that took its toll on you. Get well soon.

Xsled....jist try'n to get that old heart pumping blud again....you no...like scratch'n on a blackboard....he will have to get better or endure thise issues and...that will probably kill him...so he has to get out and get beter.

I always thought it was "the angle of the dangle was proportionally perpepdicular to the heat of the meat" and everybody knows pies are round ! fnash - I think would find a hook-up wherever he "goes" just to keep us corrected.

xsledder:
"I nearly had a heart attack when I saw booon say pi was 3.12, it is 3.14..."

Well 3.14… is close, I'll give ya that.
But I tried using that in a math class in high school (circa 1955-1958) and got bitched at for not using 3.1416...

So doncha know, the next time I used a "bigger slice of Pi":
Pi = 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582…
Guess what, no more complaints thereafter when I used 3.14…

But it's just no fun anymore when you can find this kind of info on line: A million digits of Pi. (But why would you?)

BTW: They finally kicked me outa da horsepistol last night.

Perverse note: After several days of nagging at me to walk around the hospital, I couldn't leave that way. Oh no, I had to ride a wheelchair to the curb. Eh? I smell attorneys!

Good for you NASH...we knew they couldn't keep an old raddle snake from the light tapping of the key board, long....now you better start eatin right and no more excuses "it's too hot to walk" or "who needs to extercise....anything other than a key board...." we want to hear mileage each day and even a lizzard can get around in the heat out there....carefulllllly!

See Booon, Nash is not a figment of your imagination. He really does have a heart.

Ha NASH,

While your healin' and your thinkin' of Pi, you can watch the movie Pi. Pretty good independent film. The cover is like Spinal Tap's album cover (from their movie) but with the pi symbol on it. (I hope you understand the reference?)

Did they tell you you can't have pie anymore?