Question

Mia is mixing nuts and cereal squares to make 12 pounds of trail mix. Nuts cost $8 a pound, and cereal squares cost $3 a pound. If Mia wants her cost for the trail mix to be $5.50 a pound, how many pounds of nuts and how many pounds of cereal squares should she use?

Answer 1

Explanation:

If n is pounds of nuts, and c is pounds of cereal squares, then:

n + c = 12

8n + 3c = 5.5(12)

Solve with substitution:

8n + 3(12 − n) = 5.5(12)

8n + 36 − 3n = 66

5n = 30

n = 6

c = 12 − n

c = 6

So Mia should use 6 pounds of nuts and 6 pounds of cereal squares.