Mixture Problems

Each of the problems below is a link. If you click on the problem, it will take you to a YouTube video of a full, step-by-step solution for the problem. You may try these problems as practice and use the videos to check your answer, or you can just watch the videos to see more worked-out example problems.

1. A chemist needs to mix an 18% acid solution with a 45% acid solution in order to obtain 24 liters of a 36% acid solution. How many liters of each of the acid solutions must be used?
2. A pharmacist wants to produce a 5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help a patient treat their acne. They have a supply of 2% benzoyl peroxide cream and a supply of 10% benzoyl peroxide cream. How much of each cream should they mix to create 80 grams of 5% benzoyl peroxide cream?
3. A marine biologist needs to fill a 100 gallon aquarium with 2% saltwater. They have a tank of 5% saltwater and a tank of freshwater (which is 0% salt). How much water should they use from each tank to fill the aquarium with 2% saltwater?
4. A nut company sells peanuts for $3 per pound and they sell cashews for $8 per pound. They want to create a mixture that is worth $6 per pound. If they want ten pounds of this mixture, how many pounds of each type of nut should they use?
5. Caroline’s Candy Company sells gummy bears for $4.50 per pound and jelly beans for $6.50 per pound. How many pounds of each type of candy should they use to create a 30 pound mixture that would sell for $5.10 per pound?