SOLUTION: Hello. My assignment is to come up with four essential vitamins/minerals and their recommended daily values. Also, four foods that contain each of those vitamins/minerals. Then I h

Question 609549: Hello. My assignment is to come up with four essential vitamins/minerals and their recommended daily values. Also, four foods that contain each of those vitamins/minerals. Then I have to construct a linear system of equations that determines how much of each item a person would need to consume to achieve the recommended daily value of each nutrient.
For the minerals, I have: Magnesium- 400mg, Potassium-3500mg, Sodium-2400mg, and Zinc-15mg
The foods that I have chosen and calculated are:
1.)4 oz.Chicken: calcium-17.01mg, iron-1.18mg, magnesium-32.89mg, sodium-83.91mg,potassium-290.30mg, & zinc-1.13mg)
2.) 4oz Salmon: calcium-7.94mg, iron-.62mg, mag-35.15mg,sodium-74.84mg, potassium-425.24mg, zinc-.58mg
3.)Whole wheat: calcium-18.20mg, iron-1.75mg, mag-58.24mg,sodium-9.10mg, potassium-123.76mg, zinc-1.04mg
4.)1 cup 2% Milk: calcium-292.80mg, iron-.05mg, mag-26.84mg,sodium-114.68mg, potassium-341.60mg, zinc-1.17mg
Honestly, I have no idea how to begin to create a linear equation for all of these. Hopefully someone can simplify the process for me, or give me an example of a linear equation that I can use to create one for each food
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

I think the trick to this one is to count 4oz chicken, 4oz salmon, some unspecified amount of whole wheat, and 1 cup milk, as "servings." Then let

represent the number of required servings of chicken,

represent the number of required servings of salmon, etc.

Now, make yourself a table:

	Servings	Magnesium	Potassium	Sodium	Zinc
Chicken		32.89	290.30	83.91	1.13
Salmon		35.15	425.24	74.84	0.58
Whole Wheat		58.24	123.76	9.1	1.04
2% Milk		26.84	341.60	114.68	1.17
Requirement		400	3500	2400	15