Home
Arithmetic
Algebra
Geometry
Statistics
Probability
Set Theory
Trigonometry
Matrices
SAT Preparation
ACT Preparation
GMAT Preparation
Math Worksheets
Math Games
Math Trivia
Chemistry
How Things Work
Animal Facts
Links

 

Mixture Word Problems - Different Costs or Concentrations

Mixture problems are word problems where items or quantities of different values are mixed together.

We recommend using a table to organize your information for mixture problems. Using a table allows you to think of one number at a time instead of trying to handle the whole mixture problem at once.

 

 

Mixing Quantities Of Different Costs or Different Concentrations

Example:

How many pounds of chocolate worth $1.20 a pound must be mixed with 10 pounds of chocolate worth 90 cents a pound to produce a mixture worth $1.00 a pound?

Solution:

Step 1: Set up a table for different types of chocolate.

 

original

added

result

cost

     

amount

     

Step 2: Fill in the table with information given in the question.

How many pounds of chocolate worth $1.20 a pound must be mixed with 10 pounds of chocolate worth 90 cents a pound to produce a mixture worth $1.00 a pound?

Let x = amount of chocolate added.

 

original

added

result

cost

0.9

1.2

1

amount

10

x

x + 10

Step 3: Multiply down each column.

 

original

added

result

cost

0.9

1.2

1

amount

10

x

x + 10

multiply

0.9 × 10

1.2 × x

1 × (x + 10)

Step 4: original + added = result

0.9 × 10 + 1.2 × x = 1 × (x + 10)
9 + 1.2x = x + 10

Isolate variable x
1.2xx = 10 - 9
0.2x = 1
x=5

Answer: 5 pounds of the 90 cents chocolate needs to be added.

 

 

The following video shows a mixture word problem that involves mixtures with different concentrations.

 

 

Custom Search

 


Useful Links:
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - Mixture Problems
algebra.com - Mixture Problems
 
© Copyright 2005, 2007 - onlinemathlearning.com

 

Custom Search