algebra question for 8th grade test

Question

a recipe for fruit punch consists of apple juice orange juice and pineapple juice. the recipe calls for 4 times as much orange juice as apple juice and one half as much pine apple juice as orange juice. if 28 total pints of punch are needed how much of each juice is needed for the recipe

Answer 1

First translate the problem into mathspeak:

1. 28 pints total
2. apple juice is X
3. orange juice is 4X
4. pineapple juice is half of orange juice, so 2X

then solve the equation:

X +4X + 2X =28

7X = 28

X = 4

So apple juice is 4 pints, orange juice is 4 x 4 = 16 Pints and pineapple juice is 2 x 4 = 8 pints.