probability with ratios

Question

the ratio of cashews to peanuts in a mixed bag is 2 to 3.l There are 11,871 peanuts in the mixed bag. How many total nuts were there in the bag?

Answer 1

2 parts cashews + 3 parts peanuts = 5 total parts

 

3         11,871

---  =  ----------

5            x

 

Where x is the total number of nuts in the bag. Cross multiply to solve for x.