Math Question - Algebra - 28

Question

The Girl Scouts have a yearly cookie sale. One year they have two varieties which don't sell so well, so they decide to mix them. The coconut macaroons sell for $3 a pound and the maple dates sell for $4 a pound. How many pounds of each do they use so that they will make the same amount of money but have 100 pounds of mixture and sell it at $3.20 per pound~

Answer 1

Suppose you mix x pounds of coconut macaroons and y pounds of maple dates. There are 100 pounds of mixture, so

x+y=100

Breakeven analysis:

100 pounds*$3.20/pound=$3/pound*(x pounds)+$4*(y pounds)

$320=$3x+$4y



Since x+y=100, then y=100-x.

$320=$3*x+$4*(100-x)

$320=$3*x+$400-$4*x

$320=$400+($3-$4)*x

x=($320-$400)/($3-$4)=(-$80)/(-$1)=80 pounds

Then y=20 pounds, since x+y=100.