A 10 percent salt solution is to be mixed with pure water to produce 55 gallons of a 3 percent salt solution? How much of each are needed?

The final mixture will be 55 gallons containing 3% salt, so that is equivalent to a pure salt content of 55* 3/100 = 33/20 = 1.65 gallons.

That salt only comes from the 10% salt solution; it was 1/10th of 16.5 gallons

So it was 16.5 gallons of the 10% solution and 38.5 gallons of water

In terms of equations this is 0.1n = 0.03* 55...Show more

Your 2nd equation is wrong
0.1 * x + 0 * y = 0.03 * 55

You want 55 gallons of 3%. The water (y) is at 0%...Show more