Question

The Jones have some friends drop in. They wish to serve sherry but do not have enough to serve all the same kind. So they mix some which is 20% alcohol with some which is 14% alcohol and have 5 quarts, which is 16% alcohol. How much of each king of sherry they have to mix

Answer 1

they have to mix 1.67 quarts 20% and 3.33 quarts 14%

Explanation:

Given the data in the question;

let x quarts of the 20 percent alcohol and y quarts of 14 percent alcohol be mixed to form 5 quarts

i.e

x + y = 5 -------------let this be equation 1

20%x + 14%y = 16%5

0.2x + 0.14y = 0.8

multiply through by 50

10x + 7y = 40 -------------let this be equ 2

so let multiply equation by -7

-7x - 7y = -35 ------------- let this be equ 3

add equ 2 and 3

3x + 0 = 5

x = 5/3 ≈ 1.67

substitute value of x in equation 1

5/3 + y = 5

y = 5 - 5/3

y = 10/3 ≈ 3.33

Therefore; they have to mix 1.67 quarts 20% and 3.33 quarts 14%