Question

A paint mixer wants to mix paint that is 15% gloss with paint that is 30% gloss to make 6 gallons that is 25% gloss. How many gallons of each paint should the paint mixer mix together?

Answer 1

you have two unkowns so you will need two equations
what we know is the percent the end mix will be (25%) and the total gallons the end mix will be (6) so let x be associated with the 15% gloss paint and y be associated with the 30% gloss paint

.15x+.3y=.25 (equation 1)
x+y=6 (equation 2)

now solve for x and y
did that help?

Answer 2

Depends on the viscosity of the paint.

Answer 3

yes it did a lot actually but how i still dont understand how to do the equations >.<

Answer 4

& thank you so much for taking the time i really appreciate it

Answer 5

well the first equation is saying that x number of gallons of .15 paint plus y number of gallons of .3 paint will give paint that is .25
the second equation tells us that when we add the amount of x and y paint together we will get 6 gallons

Answer 6

so i have to add the x & why together ?

Answer 7

so i have to add the x & y together *

Answer 8

when you have a problem like this the first thing I do is see how many thinigs i have to solve for, in this case 2 (# of gallons of each paint). This will let us know that we need two equations. Then we have to figure out the two equations with what we know. so 15 percent gloss of one paint plus 30 percent gloss of the other paint have to make a paint that is 25 percent gloss
.15x + .3y = .25
we also know that both of the gallons of paint added together have to equal 6 gallons
x + y = 6

Answer 9

oh okay i see now , but what do you do after you have the .15x + .3y = .25 ?