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Two different gasohol mixtures are available. One contains 12% ethanol and the other 5% ethanol.
How much of each should be mixed to obtain 14 gal of ethanol having 10% alcohol?
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Mix x gallons of the 12% ethanol and (14-x) gallons of the 5% ethanol.
An equation for the amount of the pure ethanol in ingredient and the mixture is
0.12x + 0.05*(14-x) = 0.1*14 gallons of ethanol.
Simplify and find x
0.12x + 0.7 - 0.05x = 1.4
0.12x - 0.05x = 1.4 - 0.7
0.07x = 0.7
x = 0.7/0.07 = 10.
ANSWER. 10 gallons of the 12% ethanol and 14-10 = 4 gallons of the 5% ethanol.
Solved.
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It is a standard and typical mixture problem.
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