Evelyn is making a candy that contains 25% dark chocolate and the rest milk chocolate. The candy has 3 pounds of milk chocolate.

Question

Part A: Write an equation using one variable that can be used to find the total number of pounds of dark chocolate and milk chocolate in the candy. Define the variable used in the equation and solve the equation. Hint: 0.25x represents the number of pounds of dark chocolate in the candy. Part B: How many pounds of dark chocolate are present in the candy? Show your work.

Answer 1

Let X = Total Number of pounds of the candy

.25X + 3 = X (Dark Chocolate is 25% and the 75% Milk Chocolate is 3 lbs.)

I just don't like decimals, so I'm multiplying EVERYTHING by 100.

25X + 300 = 100X

300 = 75X

4 = X

Therefore, the total weight of the candy is 4 POUNDS.

And, since the weight of the DARK CHOCOLATE is 25% or 1/4th of the total

weight of 4 pounds, then the WEIGHT OF THE DARK CHOCOLATE IS 1 POUND.

BTW, without using algebra is much, much easier here.

If you know 75% weighs 3 pounds, then you know 25% is 1 pound.

Therefore, the DARK CHOCOLATE weighs 1 pound, since it is 25% of the mixture.