 How many liters of a 70% alcohol solution must be added to 50 liters of a 40% alcohol

solution to produce a 50% alcohol solution?

   

  liters sol'n % alcohol total liters alcohol

70% sol'n x 0.70 0.70x
40% sol'n 50 0.40 (0.40)(50) = 20
50% mix 50 + x 0.50 0.50(50 + x)

From the last column, you get the equation 0.7x + 20 = 0.5(50 + x). Solve for x.

 How many ounces of pure water must be added to 50 ounces of a 15% saline solution to
make a saline solution that is 10% salt?
    

  ounces liquid % salt total ounces salt

water x 0 0
15% sol'n 50 0.15 (50)(0.15) = 7.5
10% mix 50 + x 0.10 0.10(50 + x)

From the last column, you get the equation 7.5 = 0.1(50 + x). Solve for x.

(Note the percentage for water. "Pure water" contains no salt, so the percent of salt is zero. If, on the
other hand, you were trying to increase the salt content by adding pure salt, the percent would have been
one hundred.)

 Find the selling price per pound of a coffee mixture made from 8 pounds of coffee that
sells for $9.20 per pound and 12 pounds of coffee that costs $5.50 per pound.
   

  pounds coffee $/pound total $ for coffee

pricey 8 $9.20 (8)($9.20) = $73.60
cheapo 12 $5.50 (12)($5.50) = $66
mix 8 + 12 = 20 ? $73.60 + 66 = $139.60

From the last row, you see that you have 20 pounds for $139.60, or $139.60/(20 pounds). Simplify the
division to find the unit rate.   Copyright © Elizabeth Stapel 1999-2011 All Rights Reserved

 How many pounds of lima beans that cost $0.90 per pound must be mixed with 16pounds
of corn that costs $0.50 per pound to make a mixture of vegetables that costs $0.65 per
pound?
   

  pounds $/pound total $ for veggies

lima beans x $0.90 $0.90x
 corn 16 $0.50 (16)($0.50) = $8
mix 16 + x $0.65 (16 + x)($0.65)

From the last column, you get the equation $0.90x + $8 = (16 + x)($0.65). Solve for x.

 Two hundred liters of a punch that contains 35% fruit juice is mixed with 300 liters (L) of

another punch. The resulting fruit punch is 20% fruit juice. Find the percent of fruit juice
in the 300 liters of punch.
    

  liters punch % juice total liters juice

35% juice 200 0.35 (200)(0.35) = 70
other punch 300 x 300x
mix 200 + 300 = 500 0.20 (500)(0.20) = 100

From the last column, you get the equation 70 + 300x = 100. Solve for x, and then convert the decimal
answer to a percentage.

 Ten grams of sugar are added to a 40-g serving of a breakfast cereal that is 30% sugar.
What is the percent concentration of sugar in the resulting mixture?
    

  grams in bowl % sugar total grams sugar

sugar 10 1.00 10
cereal 40 0.30 (40)(0.30) = 12
mix 50 ? 10 + 12 = 22

22
From the last row, you see that there are 22 grams of sugar in the 50 grams in the bowl, or  /50. Simplify, 

Problem 1: How many liters of 20% alcohol solution should be added to 40 liters of a 50% alcohol solution to make a
30% solution?

Solution to Problem 1:

 Let x be the quantity of the 20% alcohol solution to be added to the 40 liters of a 50% alcohol. Let y be the
quantity of the final 30% solution. Hence 

x + 40 = y 

 We shall now express mathematically that the quantity of alcohol in x liters plus the quantity of alcohol in the
40 liters is equal to the quantity of alcohol in y liters. But remember the alcohol is measured in percentage
term. 

20% x + 50% * 40 = 30% y 

 Substitute y by x + 40 in the last equation to obtain. 

 20% x + 50% * 40 = 30% (x + 40) 

 Change percentages into fractions. 

20 x / 100 + 50 * 40 / 100= 30 x / 100 + 30 * 40 / 100 

 Multiply all terms by 100 to simplify. 

20 x + 50 * 40 = 30 x + 30 * 40 

 Solve for x. 

x = 80 liters 

 80 liters of 20% alcohol is be added to 40 liters of a 50% alcohol solution to make a 30% solution.

Problem 2: John wants to make a 100 ml of 5% alcohol solution mixing a quantity of a 2% alcohol solution with a 7%
alcohol solution. What are the quantities of each of the two solutions (2% and 7%) he has to use?

Solution to Problem 2:

 Let x and y be the quantities of the 2% and 7% alcohol solutions to be used to make 100 ml. Hence 

x + y = 100 

 We now write mathematically that the quantity of alcohol in x ml plus the quantity of alcohol in y ml is equal
to the quantity of alcohol in 100 ml.

 2% x + 7% y = 5% 100 

 The first equation gives y = 100 - x. Substitute in the last equation to obtain 

2% x + 7% (100 - x) = 5% 100 

 Multiply by 100 and simplify 

2 x + 700 - 7 x = 5 * 100 

 Solve for x 

x = 40 ml 

 Substitute x by 40 in the first equation to find y 

y = 100 - x = 60 ml

Problem 3: Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver. How many grams of Sterling Silver must be mixed to a 90% Silver
alloy to obtain a 500g of a 91% Silver alloy?

Solution to Problem 3:

 Let x and y be the weights, in grams, of sterling silver and of the 90% alloy to make the 500 grams at 91%.
Hence 

x + y =500 

 The number of grams of pure silver in x plus the number of grams of pure silver in y is equal to the number
 of grams of pure silver in the 500 grams. The pure silver is given in percentage forms. Hence 

92.5% x + 90% y = 91% 500 

 Substitute y by 500 - x in the last equation to write 

92.5% x + 90% (500 - x) = 91% 500 

 Simplify and solve 

92.5 x + 45000 - 90 x = 45500 

x = 200 grams. 

 200 grams of Sterling Silver is needed to make the 91% alloy.

Problem 4: How many Kilograms of Pure water is to be added to 100 Kilograms of a 30% saline solution to make it a
10% saline solution.

Solution to Problem 4:

 Let x be the weights, in Kilograms, of pure water to be added. Let y be the weight, in Kilograms, of the 10%
solution. Hence 

x + 100 = y 

  Let us now express the fact that the amount of salt in the pure water (which 0) plus the amount of salt in the
30% solution is equal to the amount of salt in the final saline solution at 10%. 

0 + 30% 100 = 10% y 

 Substitute y by x + 100 in the last equation and solve. 

30% 100 = 10% (x + 100) 

 Solve for x. 

x = 200 Kilograms.

Problem 5: A 50 ml after-shave lotion at 30% alcohol is mixed with 30 ml of pure water. What is the percentage of
alcohol in the new solution?

Solution to Problem 5:

 The amount of the final mixture is given by 

50 ml + 30 ml = 80 ml 

 The amount of alcohol is equal to the amount of alcohol in pure water ( which is 0) plus the amount of
alcohol in the 30% solution. Let x be the percentage of alcohol in the final solution. Hence 

0 + 30% 50 ml = x (80) 

 Solve for x 

x = 0.1817 = 18.75%

Problem 6: You add x ml of a 25% alcohol solution to a 200 ml of a 10% alcohol solution to obtain another solution.
Find the amount of alcohol in the final solution in terms of x. Find the ratio, in terms of x, of the alcohol in the final
solution to the total amount of the solution. What do you think will happen if x is very large? Find x so that the final
solution has a percentage of 15%.

Solution to Problem 6:

 Let us first find the amount of alcohol in the 10% solution of 200 ml. 

200 * 10% = 20 ml 

 The amount of alcohol in the x ml of 25% solution is given by 

25% x = 0.25 x 

 The total amount of alcohol in the final solution is given by 

20 + 0.25 x 

 The ratio of alcohol in the final solution to the total amount of the solution is given by 

[ ( 20 + 0.25 x ) / (x + 200)] 

 If x becomes very large in the above formula for the ratio, then the ratio becomes close to 0.25 or 25% (The
above function is a rational function and 0.25 is its horizontal asymptote). This means that if you increase
the amount x of the 25% solution, this will dominate and the final solution will be very close to a 25%
solution. 

 To have a percentage of 15%, we need to have 

[ ( 20 + 0.25 x ) / (x + 200)] = 15% = 0.15 

 Solve the above equation for x 

20 + 0.25 x = 0.15 * (x + 200) 

x = 100 ml

Example 1:

John wants to have an interest income of $3,000 a year. How much must he
invest for one year at 8%?

Solution:

Step 1: Write down the formula

I = prt

Step 2: Plug in the values 

 3000 = p × 0.08 × 1 
3000 = 0.08p 
p = 37,500

Answer: He must invest $37,500

Example 2:

Jane owes the bank some money at 4% per year. After half a year, she paid $45
as interest. How much money does she owe the bank?

Solution:

Step 1: Write down the formula

I = prt

Step 2: Plug in the values

45 = 0.02p 
p = 2250

Answer: She owes $2,250