I need to know how to work this problem

Question

A company wants to mix peanuts, which contain 25% protein, and cashews, which contain 10% protein, to make a trail mix. If you make a mixture of 10 pounds of peanuts and 60 pounds of cashews, how many pounds of protein are in the mixture?

Answer 1

Hi Catherine.

 

If peanuts are 25% protein, that means 1 pound of peanuts contains 0.25 pounds protein.

Similarly, if cashews are 10% protein, that means 1 pound of cashews contains 0.10 pounds protein.

 

If you have 10 pounds of peanuts at 0.25 pounds protein/ pound of peanut, that means you have:

 

10 pounds peanuts * 0.25 pounds protein/ pound peanuts = 2.5 pounds protein

 

60 pounds of cashews at 0.10 pounds protein per pound of cashew yields:

 

60 pounds cashews * 0.10 pounds protein/ pound cashews = 6 pounds protein

 

Altogether, you have 6 + 2.5 = 8.5 pounds protein.

 

Hope this helps.