document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=353420>Question 353420</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I don't even know where to begin on this problem.  This is a question from my college Algebra 2 course.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A precious metals company receives an order for a block of 160 lbs. of alloy which is 35% silver.  The block is made from two individual blocks.  The first individual block was 50% silver.  The second individual block was 25% silver.  What were the weights of the two original blocks? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #252530 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><B>Earlsdon(6294)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=252530\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Think about the amount of silver in each of the blocks of alloy.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The 160-lb block has 35% of 160 lbs of silver, or (0.35)(160) lbs of silver.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The two blocks from which this is made have x(0.5) lbs of silver and (160-x)(0.25) lbs of silver. x is the weight of the block with 50% silver. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "So we set these quantities equal.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(0.35)(160) = x(0.50)+(160-x)(0.25) Simplify and solve for x.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "56 = 0.5x+40-0.25x Subtract 40 from both sides.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "16 = 0.5x-0.25x Simplify.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "16 = 0.25x Divide both sides by 0.25<BR>\n" );
document.write( "64 = x and...<BR>\n" );
document.write( "160-x = 96<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The weights of the original blocks were:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "64 lbs of the 50% silver alloy and 96 lbs of the 25% silver alloy. </SPAN>\n" );
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