Question

How many pounds of candy worth 70 cents a pound must be mixed with 30 pounds of candy worth 90 cents a pound to produce a mixture which can be sold for 85 cents per pound?

Answer 1

Answer: 10 pounds .

Answer 2

Let x be the number of pounds of candy worth 70 cents a pound that must be mixed with 30 pounds of candy worth 90 cents a pound to produce a mixture which can be sold for 85 cents per pound.

The total weight of the mixture will be (x + 30) pounds, and the total cost of the mixture will be:

0.7x + 0.9(30) = 0.85(x + 30)

Simplifying and solving for x, we get:

0.7x + 27 = 0.85x + 25.5
0.15x = 1.5
x = 10

Therefore, 10 pounds of candy worth 70 cents a pound must be mixed with 30 pounds of candy worth 90 cents a pound to produce a mixture which can be sold for 85 cents per pound.