A chemist wants to mix a 23% acid solution with a 43% acid solution to get 15 L of a 31% acid solution. How many liters of the 23% solution and how many liters of the 43% solution should be Mixed?
A) 5 L of the 23% solution; 10 L of the 43% solution
B) 9 L of the 23% solution; 6 L of the 43% solution
C) 10 L of the 23% solution; 5 L of the 43% solution
D) 6 L of the 23% solution; 9 L of the 43% solution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To solve this, we use the equation for mixture problems: (amount of first solution * its percentage + amount of second solution * its percentage) / total amount = desired percentage. Let x be the amount of the 23% solution, so 15 - x is the amount of the 43% solution. The equation is: (0.23x + 0.43(15 - x)) / 15 = 0.31. Solving for x gives 9 L of the 23% solution and 6 L of the 43% solution.

A Chemist Wants to Mix a 23% Acid Solution with a 43