An aircraft sprays at 8 gallons per minute and travels at 130 miles per hour. How many gallons are sprayed per mile?

To determine how many gallons are sprayed per mile, you need to calculate the relationship between the rate of spray and the speed of the aircraft. The aircraft sprays at a rate of 8 gallons per minute and travels at a speed of 130 miles per hour.

First, convert the speed from miles per hour to miles per minute. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, divide the speed by 60:

130 miles per hour ÷ 60 = ( \approx 2.17) miles per minute.

Next, since the aircraft sprays 8 gallons in one minute, you can find the gallons sprayed per mile by dividing the gallons sprayed in a minute by the number of miles traveled in that same minute:

8 gallons per minute ÷ ( \approx 2.17) miles per minute = ( \approx 3.69) gallons per mile.

When rounded, this value is closest to 3.7 gallons per mile, confirming that this choice is correct. This calculation illustrates how the spray rate and aircraft speed interact to determine the efficiency and output of the aerial application process.