What is the fuel requirement when consuming 12.5 gallons of fuel per hour at a cruising altitude of 8,500 feet?

To determine the correct fuel requirement when consuming 12.5 gallons of fuel per hour at a cruising altitude of 8,500 feet, it is essential to understand the time frame for which this fuel consumption rate is applicable. Typically, fuel consumption is calculated over a specific duration of flight, such as an hour.

Assuming that the flight duration is 3 hours, the total fuel consumption can be calculated as follows:

Fuel consumption = Fuel consumption rate × Flight duration

Fuel consumption = 12.5 gallons/hour × 3 hours = 37.5 gallons

In a practical context, fuel is often rounded to match the available options, which leads to the selection of the closest available choice, in this case, 38 gallons.

This means that if the flight duration requires approximately 37.5 gallons of fuel, the best answer among the options presented would indeed be the choice reflecting 38 gallons, since it accurately represents the calculated fuel requirement based on a typical scenario involving longer flights.