Help with Python exercises!

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So, I'm doing exercises from the Practical Programming book on Python, but I am stuck on the 9th exercise in Chapter 2, which is related to the 7th:

7. In the United States, a car’s fuel efficiency is measured in miles
per gallon. In the metric system, it is usually measured in liters
per 100 kilometers.
a) Write a function called convert_mileage that converts from
miles per gallon to liters per 100 kilometers.

I wrote the program like this:

Code:

def convert_mileage(miles_per_gallon):
    liters_per_gallon = 3.785411784
    kilometers_per_mile = 1.609344
    liters_per_100 = (100*liters_per_gallon)/(kilometers_per_mile*miles_per_gallon)
    print miles_per_gallon,'miles per gallon are',liters_per_100,'liters per 100 kilometers.'

convert_mileage(40)
convert_mileage(20)

Now, the 9th exercise is the following:
9. a) Define a function called liters_needed that takes a value representing a distance in kilometers and a value representing gas mileage for a vehicle and returns the amount of gas needed in liters to travel that distance. Your definition should call the function convert_mileage that you defined as part of a previous exercise.


I have no clue how to link the first function into the second one... and I am having difficulties understanding the whole mileage thing compared to liter to travel. If anyone could help me out, that'd be great! Thanks

 

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Litres and Gallons are units of volumetric measurement, they are used for liquids.

Obviously Miles and Kilometers are ways to measure distance.

The french invented the metric system of litres and metres.

The egyptions used to measure in cubits, palms and digits. The units of any measurement system can be quite arbitrary.
Crash course here.

You just need to realize that they are different, so a conversion is required. Like Celsius to Fahrenheit.

When you start do equations in maths, physics, chemistry etc. You realize that the results end up in composite units.

fuel efficiency = distance traveled / volume fuel used

So fuel efficiency is mile per gallon (mpg), kilometres per litre

literally m / g or km / l

The question is somewhat complicated by the fact there is an imperial and a US gallon, so we'd need to know which one you are using.
It appears you are using US gallons.

def litres_needed(distance_in_km, mpg):

litres_per_100km = convert_mileage(mpg)
return (distance_in_km/100.0)*litres_per_100km​

 

Thanks a lot for your explanation! It helped a lot! However, I had to turn 100 into a float for it to work It probably depends on whether or not you are using an older version of Python

 

I typed the code into the forum, I didn't test it.

Yes you need floats for division.