SOLUTION: how much water should be replaced with sugar in a 40% solution of 400gm to make it a 50% solution? Indicate all correct options. (A)10mg (B)40mg (C)50 mg (D)80gm (E)20g

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Question 793868: how much water should be replaced with sugar in a 40% solution of 400gm to make it a 50% solution? Indicate all correct options.
(A)10mg
(B)40mg
(C)50 mg
(D)80gm
(E)20gm
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
400 grams (abbreviated 400 g) of a 40% sugar solution contain
%2840%2F100%29%2A400+g+=+160+g sugar.
The other 400+g-160+g=240+g is water.
Replacing a certain amount of water with sugar would mean taking out x grams of water and adding x grams of sugar. It is not a very practical option, but if I was told to do it, I would apply vacuum and gentle warming to remove 40 g of water by evaporation, and then I would add of sugar to get a solution containing 200 g of water and 200 g of sugar.

A more practical option would be to just add 80 g of sugar to end up 480g of a 50% solution containing 160 g+80 g= of sugar and the same 240g of water we started with.
The expected answer is probably E, despite the word "replace."
The use of the unusual (some would call it incorrect) abbreviation "gm" for gram, along with the correct "mg" for milligram seems designed to confuse students.