How to Write an Analysis Posted: 08 Nov 2019 12:00 AM PST An analysis is a piece of writing that looks at some aspect of a document in detail. To write a good analysis, you'll need to ask yourself questions that focus on how and why the document works the way it does. You can start the process by gathering information about the subject of your analysis and defining the questions your analysis will answer. Once you've outlined your main arguments, look for specific evidence to support them. You can then work on putting your analysis together into a coherent piece of writing. [Edit]Gathering Information and Building Your Argument - Review your assignment carefully. Before you begin working on your analysis, make sure you have a clear understanding of what you are supposed to do.[1] If you're writing an analysis for a class, your instructor probably provided detailed instructions for completing the assignment. If not, don't hesitate to ask them questions about what they expect of you. Try to find out:
- If your analysis is supposed to answer a specific question or focus on a particular aspect of the document you are analyzing.
- If there are any length or formatting requirements for the analysis.
- The citation style your instructor wants you to use.
- On what criteria your instructor will evaluate your analysis (e.g., organization, originality, good use of references and quotations, or correct spelling and grammar).
- Gather basic information about the subject of your analysis. Most analysis assignments involve picking apart a single document. You could be asked to analyze a textual document, such as a book, a poem, an article, or a letter. Some analyses focus on visual or auditory sources, such as a painting, a photograph, or a film. Identify exactly what it is you will be analyzing, and gather basic information, such as:[2]
- The title of the document (if it has one).
- The name of the creator of the document. For example, depending on the type of document you're working with, this could be the author, artist, director, performer, or photographer.
- The form and medium of the document (e.g., "Painting, oil on canvas").
- When and where the document was created.
- The historical and cultural context of the work.
- Do a close reading of the document and take notes. Once you've gathered some basic information, examine the document closely. If your analysis is supposed to answer a specific question or address a particular aspect of the document, keep that in mind. Write down your thoughts and impressions. For example, if you're analyzing an advertisement poster, you might make note of:[3]
- Who you believe the intended audience is for the advertisement.
- What rhetorical choices the author made to persuade the audience of their main point.
- What product is being advertised.
- How the poster uses images to make the product look appealing.
- Whether there is any text in the poster, and, if so, how it works together with the images to reinforce the message of the ad.
- What the purpose of the ad is or what its main point is.
- Determine which question(s) you would like to answer with your analysis. An analytical piece of writing should have a clear, narrow focus.[4] It should also answer specific "how" or "why" questions about the document you are analyzing, rather than merely summarizing its contents. If your assignment doesn't already ask you to focus on a specific question or aspect of the document, you'll need to select one.
- For example, if you're analyzing an advertisement poster, you might focus on the question: "How does this poster use colors to symbolize the problem that the product is intended to fix? Does it also use color to represent the beneficial results of using the product?"
- Make a list of your main arguments. Once you've narrowed down the focus of your analysis, decide how you plan to answer the relevant question(s). Briefly note your major arguments. These will form the main body of your analysis.[5]
- For example, you might write, "This poster uses the color red to symbolize the pain of a headache. The blue elements in the design represent the relief brought by the product."
- You could develop the argument further by saying, "The colors used in the text reinforce the use of colors in the graphic elements of the poster, helping the viewer make a direct connection between the words and images."
- Gather evidence and examples to support your arguments. Simply presenting your arguments will not be enough. In order to convince the reader, you'll need to provide supporting evidence.[6] Most of this evidence should come from within the document that you're analyzing, although you can also cite contextual information that might offer further support.
- For example, if you're arguing that the advertisement poster uses red to represent pain, you might point out that the figure of the headache sufferer is red, while everyone around them is blue. Another piece of evidence might be the use of red lettering for the words "HEADACHE" and "PAIN" in the text of the poster.
- You could also draw on outside evidence to support your claims. For example, you might point out that in the country where the advertisement was produced, the color red is often symbolically associated with warnings or danger.
[Edit]Organizing and Drafting Your Analysis - Write a brief thesis statement or topic sentence. Most analyses begin with a brief summary of the main points that the analysis will make. Writing your thesis first will help you stay focused as you plan out and draft the rest of your analysis. In 1 or 2 sentences, summarize the major argument(s) you will be making. Be sure to include the name and author (if known) of the document you are analyzing.[7]
- For example, "The poster 'Say! What a relief,' created in 1932 by designer Dorothy Plotzky, uses contrasting colors to symbolize the pain of a headache and the relief brought by Miss Burnham's Pep-Em-Up Pills. The red elements denote pain, while blue ones indicate soothing relief."
- Create an outline for your analysis. Building on your thesis and the arguments you sketched out while doing your close read of the document, create a brief outline. Make sure to include the main arguments you would like to make as well as the evidence you will use to support each argument. For example, your outline might follow this basic structure:
- I. Introduction
- II. Body
- a. Argument 1
- i. Example
- ii. Analysis/Explanation
- iii. Example
- iv. Analysis/Explanation
- b. Argument 2
- i. Example
- ii. Analysis/Explanation
- iii. Example
- iv. Analysis/Explanation
- c. Argument 3
- i. Example
- ii. Analysis/Explanation
- iii. Example
- iv. Analysis/Explanation
- III. Conclusion
- Draft an introductory paragraph. Your introductory paragraph should provide basic background information about the document you are analyzing, as well as your thesis or topic sentence. You don't need to provide a detailed summary of the document, but do provide enough information that your audience will have a basic understanding of what you are talking about.[8]
- For example, "In the late 1920s, Kansas City schoolteacher Ethel Burnham developed a patent headache medication that quickly achieved commercial success throughout the American Midwest. The popularity of the medicine was largely due to a series of simple but eye-catching advertising posters that were created over the next decade. The poster 'Say! What a relief,' created in 1932 by designer Dorothy Plotzky, uses contrasting colors to symbolize the pain of a headache and the relief brought by Miss Burnham's Pep-Em-Up Pills."
- Use the body of the essay to present your main arguments. Following the guidance of your outline, flesh out the major arguments you would like to make. Depending on the length and complexity of your analysis, you might devote 1 or more paragraphs to each argument. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence summarizing what it is about, along with 2 or more sentences expanding on and supporting the topic sentence. Make sure to include specific examples and evidence to support each argument.[9]
- Make sure to include clear transitions between each argument and each paragraph. Use transitional words and phrases, such as "Furthermore," "Additionally," "For example," "Likewise," or "In contrast . . ."
- The best way to organize your arguments will vary based on the individual topic and the specific points you are trying to make. For example, in your analysis of the poster, you might start with arguments about the red visual elements and then move on to a discussion about how the red text fits in.
- Compose a conclusion that sums up your analysis. In your concluding paragraph, summarize the main ideas and arguments that you made in your analysis. Try to avoid simply restating your thesis, however. Instead, you might end with 1 or 2 sentences discussing further work that might be done based on your analysis, or look for a way to tie your conclusion in to the opening of the essay.[10]
- For example, you might end your essay with a few sentences about how other advertisements at the time might have been influenced by Dorothy Plotzky's use of colors.
- Avoid presenting your personal opinions on the document. An analytical essay is supposed to present arguments based on clear evidence and examples. Don't focus on your opinions or subjective reactions to the document.[11]
- For example, in your discussion of the advertisement, avoid stating that you think the art is "beautiful" or that the advertisement is "boring." Instead, focus on what the poster was supposed to accomplish and how the designer attempted to achieve those goals.
[Edit]Polishing Your Analysis - Check that the organization of your analysis makes sense. Once you've drafted your analysis, read it over and make sure that it flows in a logical way. Make sure that there are clear transitions between your ideas and that the order in which you present your ideas makes sense.
- For example, if your essay currently skips around between discussions of the red and blue elements of the poster, consider reorganizing it so that you discuss all the red elements first, then focus on the blue ones.
- Look for areas where you might clarify your writing or add details. When you're writing an analysis, it's easy to accidentally leave out details that might make your arguments clearer. Read over your draft carefully and look for any areas where you might have left out relevant information.[12]
- For example, you might look for places where you could provide additional examples to support one of your major arguments.
- Cut out any irrelevant passages. Check your essay for tangents or extraneous details that don't support the main focus of your analysis. Remove any sentences or passages that aren't directly relevant to what you're trying to say.[13]
- For example, if you included a paragraph about Dorothy Plotzky's previous work as a children's book illustrator, you may want to cut it if it doesn't somehow relate to her use of color in advertising.
- Cutting material out of your analysis may be difficult, especially if you put a lot of thought into each sentence or found the additional material really interesting. Your analysis will be stronger if you keep it concise and to the point, however.
- Proofread your writing and fix any errors. Once you've spotted any major organizational issues, go over your analysis carefully. Look for any problems with spelling, grammar, or punctuation, and correct them. This is also a good time to make sure that all of your citations are correctly formatted.[14]
- You may find it helpful to have someone else go over your essay and look for any mistakes you might have missed.
[Edit]Sample Analysis Outline and Conclusion [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
How to Invest in the Stock Market Posted: 07 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST Starting to think about retirement? Wondering how you'll be able to afford to spend your golden years in comfort? Investing in the stock market is one way to increase your wealth and security, but it is not without some serious risks. Follow these tips to get a solid start on your financial future. [Edit]Learning About Stocks - Understand the stock market. In order to invest properly, you need to understand what the stock market is and how it operates. Here's a basic rundown of terms and processes:
- Stocks. Also referred to as "shares" or "equity," a stock is a certificate that gives the holder part-ownership of a company. In order to raise money, a company releases shares that the public can buy. Each share represents a small percentage of ownership in that company.
- Shareholder. This is a person who owns shares in a company. A shareholder can hold as few as one share and as many as millions. Shareholders are given votes in the company and earn a percentage of the profits.
- Stock Market. This is where shares of companies are bought and sold. It can be a physical place or a virtual market. The three primary stock markets in the US are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ). All are accessible through stockbrokers, both by phone and online.
- Familiarize yourself with different kinds of stocks. There are two main types of stocks: common and preferred.
- Common stock is the form of stock most recognizable to newcomers. It is a share in a company. Common stock can give some of the highest returns in investing but comes with the largest risk.
- Preferred stock gives ownership like common stock does, but does not bestow voting rights. The dividends paid out by preferred stock are fixed instead of variable like common stock. Preferred stock is a more secure source of dividend income than is common stock.
- Stocks can also be broken down into different classes if the company chooses. Typically, a company will make one class of share have more voting rights than the other, to make sure that certain groups maintain control of the company.
- Learn about how stocks increase and decrease in value. Stocks operate according to the law of supply and demand. As the demand for a stock increases and more people are interested in buying than selling, the price of the stock goes up. This is because there is less supply of the stock and each share becomes more valuable. Stocks generally increase in demand as the company succeeds, and their demand lowers if the company performance suffers.
- Demand is often based on expectations of future performance. When investors feel that the company will be performing better in the near future, demand will increase.
- It is impossible to predict with any certainty how the overall stock market will behave. This is why there is so much risk associated with this form of investment.
- Find out about dividends. Dividends are a benefit paid to shareholders at the discretion of the board of directors.
- Stable companies often pay dividends to keep investors happy when their stock price does not rise much.
- Dividends are a great way to earn "passive" (automatic) income over a long period of time.
- Understand why you want to invest. Ask yourself why you want to invest and what you expect to gain from it. The stock market can be very volatile, and a bad day could see you lose a significant part of your investment.
- Good investors invest for the long term. If you are looking to cash in right away, the stock market might not be a good place to put your money.
- Don't invest if you are trying to get out of debt. Make sure any high-interest debts are taken care of before investing in the stock market.
- Successful stock investing requires dedicated time from the investor. Ask yourself if you have the time to investigate companies for at least a few hours a week. Such research is extremely important. There are many research services available to do some of the leg work for you. Look online for websites like Scottrade, ShareBuilder, Motley Fool, E-trade, TDAmeritrade, TradeKing, Morningstar, and TheStreet, to name just a few. It is very dangerous to pick stocks without first investigating them thoroughly.
[Edit]Choosing Stocks to Invest In - Determine your strengths. Since you will have to do some research when it comes to which company to invest in, focus at first on companies that you have some working knowledge of. This will make things a little more interesting and engaging as you get started.
- Check local companies, as you may have more of an opportunity to engage them and get a feel for how their business affects your area.
- Consider the overall value of a stock. You'll need to do some research and math to determine the value of a company. You'll soon see that a one-dollar stock is not necessarily cheaper than a $40 one. A stock with a real value higher than the listed price is one that's probably worth buying.
- Since buying stock means buying part-ownership of a company, determine if it would make financial sense to buy the entire company (assuming you had the money).
- Find out how long it would take to pay off your investment from profits if you bought the entire company. Use the results to determine if it is worthwhile to invest in shares.
- Keep in mind that profits can change wildly as markets change. Technologies can become obsolete, or regulations could change, rendering a company's products less valuable or even useless.
- To determine the value of a company, you will have to look at several variables. These include Future Performance, Cash Flow, and Revenue, among many others. [1]
- Future Performance. A company's worth is based largely on projections of future performance. Past performance is important only as an indication of how the company will perform in the future.
- Cash Flow. In general, a company that has a lot of assets and high operating costs has less cash flow than a similar business with less assets and a lower operating cost. Cash flow is cash on hand that can be used to pay debt.
- Revenue. Revenue is one of the major factors when valuing a company. If two companies have the same cash flow, but one has a higher revenue, that company will most likely be worth more.
- Create a diverse portfolio. While it is important to invest in what you know, you don't want all your eggs in one basket. If something happens to the industry that you are invested in, you could lose much of your investment in short order. Invest broadly to minimize risk of sudden loss.
- Invest in a broad range of economic sectors. If you are heavily focused in technology, consider investing in consumer goods, real estate or any number of other industries.
- Most investment experts recommend against putting all of your investable funds into the stock market. Also consider bonds, currencies, and commodities.
- Try to create a portfolio of around 20 different stocks that aren't related. This should be a manageable number to keep track of while still providing a wide array of earning opportunities. [2]
- Know when to buy. Buying at the right time is essential to successful investing.
- Don't buy everything at once. If the market takes a downturn right after you buy, you could lose most of your investment. Instead, spread out your initial investment over several months to minimize the risk each time you buy.
- Consult a stock chart when considering stock purchases. Google and Yahoo both provide comprehensive online stock charts, and there are many other similar services to choose from.
- Check to see if the stock trend is rising. This means that the price has been increasing steadily. Look for stocks that are increasing but not necessarily rapidly. Stocks will only go so high, so if a price is climbing rapidly, there's a good chance that it will level off or drop soon.
- Check the volume of trades. If a stock is finding steadily more buyers, that's a good indicator of the stock's health. A rising price with a declining volume could mean that the price will drop soon due to lack of interest.
- Find the moving average of the stock. The moving average is the average price of a stock over time. Ideally this average would be increasing and the listed price would be above this average.
- Avoid volatile stocks. If the price jumps too much, and there are a lot of spikes in the chart, the stock is probably too unstable to safely invest in.
- Contact a broker when ready. In order to buy stocks, you must go through a licensed stockbroker. There are many options to choose from, but they boil down to four main choices. [3] Determine which one will suit your needs best.
- Online/Discount Broker. Online brokers are essentially order-takers. They provide no personal assistance, and leave the decisions of what to buy and sell up to you. Fees are usually per-transaction, and they typically require very little initial investment to open an account. The research will be up to you.
- Discount Broker with Assistance. This is essentially the same as the category above, except the broker may provide a bit more basic research, such as newsletters and in-house research reports. The fee is often higher than online-only because of these extra services.
- Full-Service Broker. These are the traditional stock brokers who will meet with you and discuss your full financial situation, as well as risk analysis. They will help develop financial plans and give advice in other financial areas such as taxes. Full-service brokers will be quite a bit more expensive than a discount broker, but many offer significant benefits.
- Money Manager. A money manager takes full control of your personal finances. Their clients are typically those with a significant amount of income, and the usual minimum account is $100,000 or more.
[Edit]After You Invest - Buy and hold good stocks. Selling stocks as soon as they rise in price is a sure way to move nowhere fast. Practice self control and hold on to solid stocks unless you're desperate to raise cash. Good stocks can result in big payoffs over the long run.
- If you buy and sell repeatedly, much of your profit will go to commissions for brokers, and your gains will suffer.
- "Day trading" is stacked against newcomers, because they trade against seasoned professionals and computer programs designed to buy and sell at optimum moments.
- Instead, hold on to stocks of companies that are solid and growing. If your stocks pay dividends, reinvest them to increase your earning potential.
- Add to your portfolio as you go. Once your portfolio is established, revisit it every so often and make appropriate changes.
- Move money out of sectors that aren't performing well and invest more in areas that are seeing greater returns.
- Add more investments with additional funds as they become available in order to continue diversifying.
- Know when to sell. Ideally, you want to sell a stock when it reaches the value you determined when investigating the company and when the value is not expected to rise much more.
- If your stock has not met the target value and doesn't look like it's going to, sell it, especially if the price falls below the moving average. This is typically seen as the "last chance" to get rid of a stock before it dips too low. [4]
[Edit]What To Expect Using a Professional Broker - Expect to pay a fee for every transaction you make. Brokers make their money charging you for each time you buy or sell a stock. You need to know this fee going in, but you also need to make it clear to your broker your acceptable level of trading. Some brokers will try to sucker in novice investors with high-commission stocks and multiple trades to make more money.
- If you have a large account and plan on frequent or aggressive trades, you might look for a commission-based account, where the broker gets a percentage of your portfolio instead of a fee per trade.
- If your broker is making frequent changes and trades, known as "churning," they may be trying to raise their commission. Any trading that eats into your principal should be red-flagged.[5]
- Expect your broker to ask your acceptable level of risk. Your risk tolerance determines how bold of an investment the broker will take. Stocks are, in some way, gambling, and there are both safe bets and long-shots. Your broker will want guidance on where to steer the portfolio, based on your financial needs:
- Younger investors should aim for high-risk investments. Stocks are a long game, and any busts now will more than likely be rectified with later booms. You have the time to afford the risk.
- Middle-aged investors should strike a balance between safe and risky stocks.
- Low-risk accounts will make safe bets with lower profits. These are great for older investments who could not deal with a sudden loss of money near retirement, or those who only want slow, reliable growth.
- Expect most professional investors to choose margin accounts, not cash accounts. There are two basic investment account options -- cash and cash/margin accounts. Cash accounts must have a deposit available to make a trade-- the money must be on hand. Margin accounts allow you to borrow money from the brokerage firm to purchase stocks. This loan is based on the expected profit from the stock.
- Cash accounts are safer, but yield far less profit. You know exactly where all your money is, and whose money it is.
- Margin accounts technically put you into debt, though interest rates are far lower than that at a bank. Because they make more money available to you, you stand to earn more money. Some higher-risk trades are only available on margin accounts.[6]
- Expect the broker to determine your tax status based on your financial needs. Are you in the stock game to make a profit right now, or for retirement? Depending on how you classify your portfolio, your broker can get you potentially lower tax rates.
- Standard brokerage accounts can be swapped, taken out, and edited on the fly. They can be short or long-term investments or a bit of both. They are fully taxed.
- Retirement accounts, like IRAs, pay much lower taxes. However, you can only take the money out of them at a certain age, or risk losing much of your profit.
- A professional trader would usually have both types of accounts, though this requires a lot of upfront cash.[7]
- Expect the meeting to end with a request for your investment money. Most brokers will give you up to two weeks to give them money. You can cut a check, which will take about a week to get cleared. If you're in a hurry, expect to get a routing number and instructions to wire transfer your money over.
- Professional investors always set aside specific accounts for investments. They don't link their investment money to a savings or checking account.[8]
- Expect a professional broker often uses algorithm-based trading. The stock market is not what it used to be. Professionals now have mines of data, and computer programs to sift through them, making split-second trading decisions for your investment that you could rarely make alone. This is why, if you have the money, full-scale brokers often turn the highest profits.
- That said, the financial crash of 2007 was partially due a broken algorithm that investors used but didn't understand.[9]
- Expect a professional to invest in things other than stock. While investing in the stock market may be the goal, a professional investor knows better than to put all of their money in one basket. All of these, including stocks, fall under the blanket definition of a "security."
- CDs, or Certificates of Deposit, are savings accounts that mature at a certain date, at which point you receive a small profit. They can range from one month to five years.
- Bonds are loans that your grant, usually to the government, that must be paid back with interest. They are safe, consistent investments that generally outpace inflation.
- Expect a broker to invest in "funds," or pre-made collections of stocks. Funds are created either by a brokerage firm or an outside agency. Basically, they allow multiple investors to take risks together by all paying together for a larger portfolio, and thus more profit as there is usually a manager of the funds who buys and sells stocks inside of it. While they are usually profitable, you have to be comfortable with someone else handling your money with little control on your end.[10]
- Never invest more than you can afford to lose.
- Make sure to pay off any high-interest debt before you begin investing. Eliminating credit card debt, for instance, can be one of the best "investments" you'll ever make.
- Expect the stock market to be very volatile. Be aware that you are likely to take some losses, especially while you're still an inexperienced investor.
- Before investing try and bifurcate between a mature/saturated stock and volatile stock, this will help you to avoid wasting time and money from "work done equal to zero" concept!
- Research and consult famous people who go rich from the stock market. Figure out how they think and act, and hopefully this will help you get accustomed to the tendencies of the market.
- Depending on what you want out of your stocks, a good time to sell is usually when they are double the original value.
[Edit]Warnings - Most financial advisors will tell anyone approaching retirement to lower his/her exposure to the stock market and invest more in bonds. This is to limit the chance of losing money in the short term. Those anticipating a lengthy period of retirement should remain invested in stocks to some extent.
- If you don't diversify your portfolio, then you and your money are stuck with the outcome of whatever specific category or market you choose. If you buy a range of different types of stock, then when one specific market collapses the others keep you afloat.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
How to Calculate Fuel Consumption Posted: 07 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST With the price of fuels going up all the time, more and more drivers are aware of how much fuel their car needs. While the exact fuel consumption of your car changes based on your circumstances (city or highway, road conditions, tire pressure, etc.), finding out your car's fuel consumption is actually very easy. [Edit]Finding Fuel Consumption - Know that the equation for fuel consumption is "Miles Driven divided by Amount of Gas Used." A car's fuel consumption is a measure of miles driven per gallon of gas. If you know the distance you drove and how many gallons fit in your tank, you can simply divide the miles by the gas to get your "miles per gallon," or mpg.
- You can perform the same calculation with kilometers and liters as well.
- The best time to record is right after you fill your car with gas.
- Reset the "trip odometer" after you fill up your tank. Newer cars have a trip odometer that you can set to zero at any time. It is usually on the dashboard or center console, with a small button you can hold to reset it to zero. Set it to zero when you fill up the car and check it when you need to fill up again -- this is your mileage since you last bought gas.
- Your trip odometer will say "0 miles."
- If you don't have a trip odometer, record the number of miles on your car as "Starting Mileage." For example, if your car has 10,000 miles on it when you fill your tank, write "10,000."
- Record the miles on the trip odometer right before you buy more gas. Before you start filling up your car at the gas station, record the mileage on the odometer as "Final Mileage."
- If you do not have a trip odometer, subtract your "Starting Mileage" from your current mileage to find out how far your traveled. If your odometer now says 10,250 for example, subtract 10,000. You drove 250 miles on that tank of gas.
- Drive your car until the tank is almost empty. You can perform this calculation no matter how much gas is left in the tank, but the more gas you use the more accurate your reading will be.
- Record the amount of gas you buy in gallons. Refill your tank completely and note how many gallons/liters you needed to fill the tank back up. This is you "Fuel Usage."
- You must refill your tank completely for this to work, otherwise you don't know how much gas your car used since your last tank.
- Divide mileage by fuel usage to see your car's fuel consumption. This tells you how many miles you drove per gallon of gas. For example, if you drove 335 miles before refueling, and you filled your car up with 12 gallons of gas, your fuel consumption was 27.9 miles per gallon, or mpg (335 miles / 12 gallon = 27.9 mpg).
- If you measured in kilometers and liters, you should instead divide fuel used by kilometers traveled and multiply the result by 100 to get "liters per 100 kilometers".
- You have to start from a full tank and return to a full tank to know exactly how much gas your car consumed.
- Practice calculating with an example. Terry's odometer reads 23,500 with a full tank. After driving for a few days he needs to buy gas. The odometer reads 23,889, and it takes 12.5 gallons to refill his tank. What was his fuel consumption?
- Fuel Consumption = (Final Mileage - Starting Mileage) / Fuel Usage
- Fuel Consumption = (23,889mi - 23,500mi) / 12.5 gallons
- Fuel Consumption = 389mi / 12.5 gallons
- Fuel Consumption = 31.1 mpg
[Edit]Finding Average Fuel Consumption - Remember that fuel consumption changes based on your driving. For example, stopping and starting the car a lot uses much more gas than driving at a constant pace. This is why highway consumption is always less than city consumption.
- Cruise control can help you get better fuel consumption.
- Fuel consumption gets worse the faster you drive.
- Since AC uses gasoline, using it will diminish your fuel consumption.[1]
- Record multiple tanks of gas in a row to find your average fuel consumption. To get a more accurate picture of your car's fuel consumption, you need to have more data. By driving for longer and averaging your fuel consumption you eliminate "glitches" in your data.
- Say, for example, that you calculated your fuel consumption one day as you drove up into the mountains. Because climbing uphill takes more fuel, your fuel consumption would look much lower than it normally is.
- Set your trip odometer to zero with a full tank of gas. Set your odometer to zero and don't reset it after you get a tank of gas. If you don't have an odometer, record how many miles are on your car with a full tank of gas.
- Record how many gallons of gas you purchase each time you fill up. To get a more accurate measure of fuel consumption, you need to know how much gas you are using. Each time you fill up, write down the number of gallons you purchase and save it.
- Drive for normally for several weeks. Do not reset your trip odometer as you drive. Make sure your fill up your car 3-4 times for an accurate reading. Try to do this during a month of average driving, as big trips or unexpected traffic will change your fuel consumption.
- You do not need to fill your car all the way up each time. As long as you record the number of gallons you put in you can calculate fuel consumption.
- Fill up your tank fully after 2-3 weeks. When you are ready to calculate your fuel consumption, top your car off and record the number of gallons you put in.
- Add up the number of gallons you bought. This represents the total gas used over this period of time.
- If I bought three tanks of gas, 12 gallons, 3 gallons, and 10 gallons, then my total gas usage would be 25 gallons.
- Divide total miles by total gallons. Use your trip odometer to see how many miles you traveled total, then divide this by gallons to get your average fuel consumption. While this is the exact number of miles per gallon during your test period, it is a good estimate for your car's average fuel consumption.
- For example, if you used 25 gallons of gas, and drove 500 miles during that time, then your average fuel consumption would be 20 miles per gallon (500 miles / 25 gallons = 20 mpg).
- Know that your car's advertised mileage is often overestimated. By law, car makers must post the average fuel consumption for cars. However, these are only estimates, and they are frequently on the high end.[2] You can look up your car's fuel consumption online through this US Department of Energy website, but to find your car's actual miles per gallon you'll have to calculate it yourself.
- If your calculation is drastically different from the suggest average, you may need to bring your car to a mechanic.
[Edit]Minimizing Fuel Consumption - Avoid using the air conditioner. The AC uses gasoline to cool your car, which means you have less gasoline to actually drive with. Turn down the AC or turn it off once the car is cool to make your car more efficient.
- Running AC on max can decrease your fuel economy by almost 25%.[3]
- Drive at the speed limit. The faster you drive your car the more fuel you will consume. This is not a small change, either -- every 5 miles per hour your drive over 50mph is the equivalent of paying $0.19 more for each gallon of gas.[4]
- Drive defensively. It takes more energy to start moving a car then to keep it moving. That means if you are constantly tailgating people, stopping and starting, or trying to pass, you're using far more fuel than if you were keeping an even pace.
- Try not to brake or accelerate harshly. Brake early instead of slamming on the pedal.[5]
- Use cruise-control for long, flat stretches. Cruise control will keep your car at a consistent and even speed, which avoids burning up fuel unnecessarily with small accelerations and stops.[6]
- Turn off your car in traffic. Idling, or leaving your car on when it isn't moving, wastes gas without moving you anywhere. When possible, cut the engine to save on precious gasoline.[7]
- Avoid rooftop cargo carriers. These greatly diminish your cars aerodynamics, slowing your car down and causing you to use more fuel. In general, towing trailers or loading up the trunk is a more fuel efficient option.
- Keep your tires well-inflated. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3% if all four tires are low. Using the free air pump at most gas stations, inflate the tires up to the PSI recommended in your owner's manual.[8]
- Some cars list the proper tire pressure on a sticker in the driver's side door or the glove compartment.
- Replace your air filter. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to bump up your fuel efficiency. Make sure you buy the right filter for your car by bringing the make, model, and year in to your local auto shop and asking for recommendations--every car needs a different filter.
- For newer cars, replacing the air filter will not help fuel efficiency very much. It will, however, make it easier for your car to accelerate without issues.[9]
- Observe the posted speed limit.
- Don't speed up and slow down irregularly, it wastes fuel, especially in big SUV/Sedan type vehicles.
- There's usually no point in turning off your car at stoplights, since you usually only need to wait no more than 2 minutes if there's not much traffic. Only turn off your car if you're absolutely certain that it's better to turn it off (e.g. waiting to pick up someone at the airport).
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