Question

You have one type of nut that sells for $3.00/lb and another type of nut that sells for $5.40/lb. You would like to have 7.2 lbs of a nut mixture that sells for $4.60/lb. How much of each nut will you need to obtain the desired mixture?

Answer 1

Answer: 2.4 pounds of the type of nut that sells for $3.00/lb and 4.8 pounds of the type of nut that sells for $5.40/lb would be needed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let x represent the number of pounds of the type of nut that sells for $3.00/lb that you would need.

Let y represent the number of pounds of the type of nut that sells for $5.40/lb that you would need.

You would like to have 7.2 lbs of a nut mixture. It means that

x + y = 7.2

The mixture would sell for $4.60/lb. It means that the cost of the mixture would be

4.6 × 7.2 = $33.12

This means that

3x + 5.4y = 33.12- - - - - - - - - 1

Substituting x = 7.2 - y Intl equation 1, it becomes

3(7.2 - y) + 5.4y = 33.12

21.6 - 3y + 5.4y = 33.12

- 3y + 5.4y = 33.12 - 21.6

2.4y = 11.52

y = 11.52/2.4

y = 4.8

x = 7.2 - y = 7.2 - 4.8

x = 2.4