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mixture formula

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56 views3 pages

Howtomix

mixture formula

Uploaded by

Jodin Alido Mahinay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solving Mixture Problems: The Bucket Method

Jefferson Davis Learning Center


Sandra Peterson
Mixture problems occur in many different situations. For example, a store
owner may wish to combine two goods in order to sell a new blend at a given
price. A chemist may wish to obtain a solution of a desired strength by
combining other solutions. In any case, mixture problems may all be solved by
using the bucket method.
The key to the bucket method is setting up the buckets correctly.
Generally, the buckets will be set up as follows:
what you
start with

what you
Add in

the end
result or
mixture

Each bucket must contain two values:


An amount
(liters, tons, pounds, ounces, grams, etc.)
A type
(usually either a percent or a price)
Once all of the buckets are "filled" with an amount and a type, an
equation may be determined.
Example 1:

How many pounds of coffee worth $1.00 per pound must be mixed
with 15 pounds of coffee worth $1.60 per pound to obtain a blend
worth $1.20 per pound?

Solution:

Let x= number of pounds of $1.00 per pound coffee (this is what


we are starting with, so it goes in the first bucket)

Amount

Type

$1.00

Next, enter the values for the coffee that you are adding in
(15 pounds of coffee worth $1.60 per pound).
Amount

15
+

Type

$1.00

=
$1.60

And finally, enter the values for the desired mixture or blend
(coffee worth $1.20 per pound).
Amount

15
+

Type

$1.00

$1.60

$1.20

Notice that all of the buckets are not "filled." To get the missing
value, think of the problem this way: if we started with 3 pounds
of the $1.00 blend and added in 15 pounds of the $1.60 blend then
we would have a total of 18 pounds. So the missing value is found
by adding the first two amounts. Therefore, we have:
Amount

15

Type

$1.00

x+15
=

$1.60

$1.20

Now that our buckets are filled, we simply multiply the two values
in each bucket, making sure that we keep the operation (the plus
sign and the equal sign) between each product.

(1.00 )(x )

(1.60 )(15)

(1.20 )(x + 15)

x + 24 = 1.2 x + 18
x 18
x 18
6 = .2 x
6 .2 x
=
.2 .2
x = 30
Thus, we should start with 30 pounds of the $1.00 blend coffee.
The next example is different from the first for a couple of reasons. First
of all, it deals with a different type in our buckets, namely percents instead of
prices. The second difference is that, at first glance, the problem does not look
like it has enough given information (numbers) to fill the buckets up.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Solving Mixture Problems: The Bucket Method
Sandra Peterson, JD Learning Center

Example 2:

How much water must be added to 14 oz of a 20% alcohol solution


to obtain a 7% alcohol solution?

Solution:

Let x= the number of ounces of water that we are adding in. Since
we are starting off with 14 oz of a 20% alcohol solution, we have:

Amount

14
+

Type

20
We are adding in x ounces of pure water. That means that the
percentage of alcohol in the water is 0%.

Amount

14

X
+

Type

20

We wish our end result to be 7% alcohol, so:


Amount
Type

14

X
+

20

x+14
=

With our buckets filled we can now get:

(14)(20 )

(0 )(x )

(7 )(x + 14 )

280 + 0 = 7 x + 98
280 = 7 x + 98
98
98
182 = 7 x
182
7

7x
7

x = 26
Thus, we should add in 26 oz of pure water.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Solving Mixture Problems: The Bucket Method
Sandra Peterson, JD Learning Center

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