SOLUTION: In a mixture of peanuts and cashews, the ratio by weight of peanuts to cashews is 5 to 2. How many pounds of cashews will there be in 4 pounds of this mixture?

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Question 307995: In a mixture of peanuts and cashews, the ratio by weight of peanuts to cashews is 5 to 2. How many pounds of cashews will there be in 4 pounds of this mixture?
Answer by rapaljer(4671) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x = number of pounds of cashews.

Set up a ratio of pounds of cashews to total pounds of nuts, realizing that there will be 2 pounds of cashews in a 7 pound mixture.

%282+cashews%29%2F%287+total%29=%28x+cashews%29%2F%284+total%29

Since a%2Fb=c%2Fd means that ad=bc,
%282+cashews%29%2F%287+total%29=%28x+cashews%29%2F%284+total%29 means that 2%2A4=7%2Ax.
7x=8
x=8%2F7 or 1 1/7 pounds of cashews.

Dr. Robert J. Rapalje, Retired