Solve solution mixing, alloy, and concentration problems with step-by-step algebra. Set up the mixture table, write the equation, and find the unknown quantity.
| Solution | Volume (L) | Conc. (%) | Amount (L) |
|---|
c₁V₁ + c₂V₂ = c_mix(V₁ + V₂)
The key idea: the amount of pure substance in each component adds up to the amount in the final mixture.
Amount = Volume × Concentration (as a decimal). So 4 liters of a 20% solution contains 4 × 0.20 = 0.8 liters of pure substance.
Depending on which value is unknown, solve the equation for V₁, V₂, c₁, or c₂ by isolating the variable algebraically.
| Solution | Volume | Conc. | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solution 1 | V₁ | c₁ | c₁ · V₁ |
| Solution 2 | V₂ | c₂ | c₂ · V₂ |
| Mixture | V₁ + V₂ | c_mix | c_mix(V₁+V₂) |
One-on-one Algebra 1 tutoring walks through the table setup strategy so you can tackle any mixture, alloy, or concentration problem on your next test.