SOLUTION: Suppose that you have a huge cucumber that is 99% water (by weight). The cucumber weighs 100 pounds. If the water content of the cucumber evaporates until it is 98% water (by weigh

Algebra ->  Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems -> SOLUTION: Suppose that you have a huge cucumber that is 99% water (by weight). The cucumber weighs 100 pounds. If the water content of the cucumber evaporates until it is 98% water (by weigh      Log On


   

Question 869372: Suppose that you have a huge cucumber that is 99% water (by weight). The cucumber weighs 100 pounds. If the water content of the cucumber evaporates until it is 98% water (by weight), then approximately how much does the cucumber now weigh?
a) 99 pounds
b) 96 pounds
c) 95 pounds
d) 50 pounds
e) 49 pounds
f) 98 pounds
g) 25 pounds
Answer by josgarithmetic(39615) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Try viewing the cucumber with its solids concentration. 1% solid and 99% water, the typical cucumber.

Let x = amount of pounds of material, water, which evaporates from your 100 pound cucumber. The x pounds eveporates until percent solids becomes 2% and water becomes 98%.

%28100%2A1%29%2F%28100-x%29=2, the total solid matter stays the same but the x pounds of water leaves.

100=2%28100-x%29
100=200-2x
50=100-x
50-100=-x
x=100-50
highlight%28x=50%29 pounds water.

That should not seem strange. Note, this accounts to doubling the concentration of the solid matter of the cucumber. Try a check in the original equation.