Mixture ratio

[Troll Baj]

Oil, vinegar, and water are mixed in a 3 to 2 to 1 ratio to make salad dressing. If Larry has 8 cups of oil, 7 cups of

vinegar, and access to any amount of water, what is the maximum number of cups of salad dressing he can make

with the ingredients he has available, if fractional cup measurements are possible?

[Brent Hanneson]

Oil, vinegar, and water are mixed in a 3 to 2 to 1 ratio to make salad dressing. If Larry has 8 cups of oil, 7 cups of

vinegar, and access to any amount of water, what is the maximum number of cups of salad dressing he can make

with the ingredients he has available, if fractional cup measurements are possible?

 

The oil/vinegar ratio is 3/2

So, we can use ALL 8 cups of oil.

If we use 8 cups of oil, how much vinegar do we need?

 

Let v = # cups of vinegar needed.

Using equivalent ratio of oil/vinegar, we get: 8/v =3/2

Cross multiply to get: 3v = (2)(8)

Solve to get: v = 16/3

So, we need 16/3 cups of vinegar to go with the 8 cups of oil.

 

How much water do we need?

Well, the vinegar/water ratio is 2/1

In other words, the volume of water needed is HALF the volume of vinegar needed.

We already determined that we need 16/3 cups of vinegar.

Half of 16/3 is 8/3, so we need 8/3 cups of water

 

So, the maximum number of cups of salad dressing Larry can make = 8 + 16/3 + 8/3

=

16 cups

 

 

Cheers,

Brent