SOLUTION: A chemist has 2.5 liters of a solution which is 70% acid. How much water should be added to obtain a 50% acid solution? Can somebody help me out. i absolutly dont know how to do

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Question 16444: A chemist has 2.5 liters of a solution which is 70% acid. How much water should be added to obtain a 50% acid solution?
Can somebody help me out. i absolutly dont know how to do these types of problem nor do i know where to start.
Answer by Earlsdon(6287) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Think about this! 70% acid solution is 30% water and the 50% acid solution is 50% water.
You want to add x liters of water to the 2.5 liters of 30% water/acid solution to make (2.5 + x) liters of 50% water/acid solution. Change the percents to their decimal equivalents 30% = 0.3, 50% = 0.5 Now you can set up your equation to solve the problem.
2.5%280.3%29+%2B+x+=+%282.5+%2B+x%29%280.5%29 Simplify and solve for x.
0.75+%2B+x+=+1.25+%2B+0.5x Subtract 0.5x from both sides.
0.75+%2B+0.5x+=+1.25 Subtract 0.75 from both sides.
0.5x+=+0.5 Divide both sides by 0.5
x+=+1
The Chemist will need to add 1 liter of water to the 2.5 liters of 70% acid solution to obtain 3.5 liters of 50% acid solution.