math words question

Question

A coffee merchant combines coffee that costs $6 per pound with coffee that costs $4.40 per pound. How many pounds of each should be used to make 24 lb of a blend costing $5.50 per pound? 

$6 per lb coffee

$4.40 per lb coffee

Answer 1

Hi Ahmed,

Call Coffee A the $6 type, Coffee B the $4.40 type and Coffee C the $5.50 blend

You know that A lbs + B lbs = 24 lbs

You also know that $6A + $4.40B = $5.50 (24pounds)

From equation 1, A = 24 - B, so you can sub that into equation 2 and solve.