SOLUTION: I am not sure how to set this word problem up in order to solve. A merchant has coffee worth $5 a pound that she wishes to mix with 9 pounds of coffee worth $3 a pound to get a

Question 775974: I am not sure how to set this word problem up in order to solve.
A merchant has coffee worth $5 a pound that she wishes to mix with 9 pounds of coffee worth $3 a pound to get a mixture that can be sold for $2 a pound. How many pounds of $5 coffee should be mixed
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let = pounds of $5 coffee needed
= cost of the $5 coffee
= cost of the $3 coffee
--------------

The negative answer tells me it can't be solved.
Logically, there is no way you can mix $5/pound
coffee with $3/pound coffee and end up with
$2/pound coffee
----------------
The cost/pound of the final mixture has to be
somewhere between $3 and $5

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