GMAT Math : Understanding mixture problems
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Mixture Problems
Before being slightly dried, an apple is made of 
First, we should find out what isn't water in the apple; let's call this the pulp. The pulp accounts for 
We can rearrange this equation to yield:
The weight of the water in the dried fruit is therefore 
Example Question #185 : Word Problems
Two jars of equal size each contain some saltwater solution. The first jar is 20% full of a solution which is 80% salt; the second jar is 80% full of a solution which is 20% salt. The contents of the jars are mixed. What is the concentration of salt in the combined solution?
For the sake of simplicity, assume that each jar holds 100 milliliters of water - this reasoning is independent of the actual capacity.
The first jar is 20% full, so it contains 
Therefore, when the two solutions are mixed, the concentration of salt will be
Example Question #181 : Word Problems
Two jars of equal capacity each contain a saltwater solution. The first jar is 40% full, and its solution is 60% salt. If the contents of the second jar are emptied into the first jar, the solution, which will fill the jar completely, will be 30% salt.
What is the salt concentration of the contents of the second jar?
For the sake of simplicity, let us assume that each jar has capacity 100 milliliters; the reasoning is the same regardless of the common capacity.
The first jar is 40% full, so there are 
For the first jar to be filled to capacity, 
(Note that the actual size of the second jar does not matter.)
Example Question #187 : Word Problems
Charlie, the barrista at Sunday Coffee, has a problem. He must mix together Licorice Dream tea, which costs $20/lb, and Strawberry Explosion tea, which costs $12/lb to make sixty pounds of a new flavor of tea. Unfortunately, he forgot the correct proportions. He does know that the new tea costs $14/lb.
How many pounds of the Licorice Dream tea go into the mix?
(You may assume that the tea is to sell for the same amount of money as if it had been sold separately.)
None of the other answers are correct
None of the other answers are correct
Let 
Licorice: 
Strawberry: 
New tea:
Add the individual costs of the ingredient teas to get the total cost of the new tea.
Charlie will use 15 pounds of the Licorice Dream; as this is not one of the given answers, the correct answer is "None of the answers are correct".
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