A fuel tank holds 50.0 L of gasoline. If the density of gasoline is 0.740 g/cm^3, what is the mass in kilograms of gasoline in a full tank?

• A. 74.0 kg
• B. 37.0 kg
• C. 370 kg
• D. 5.00 kg

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Convert the volume of gasoline from liters to cubic centimeters (cm³) because the density is given in g/cm³. Use the conversion factor: 1 L = 1000 cm³. So, calculate the volume in cm³ by multiplying 50.0 L by 1000.
2. Use the density formula to find the mass in grams. The formula is \(\text{mass} = \text{density} \times \text{volume}\). Multiply the density of gasoline (0.740 g/cm³) by the volume in cm³ obtained in the previous step.
3. After calculating the mass in grams, convert the mass to kilograms by dividing by 1000, since 1000 g = 1 kg.
4. Write down the final expression for the mass in kilograms as \(\text{mass (kg)} = \frac{\text{density (g/cm}^3) \times \text{volume (cm}^3)}{1000}\) to clearly show the relationship between the quantities.
5. Check your units throughout the calculation to ensure consistency and verify that the final answer is reasonable given the density and volume.