Shannon bought 9 pounds of almonds for a total cost of $27. The cost per pound of cashews is 70% more than the cost of almonds. Shannon bought enough cashews that when she mixed them with the almonds the cost was $4.00 per pound. What percent of the mixture by weight was almonds?

Question

I couldn't get far into the problem because when I do 4 x .70 I get a number for the cashews that doesn't make sense! please help.

Answer 1

cost of almonds = $3.00 per pound
cost of cashews ---- 1.7(3) or $5.10 per pound

let the amount of cashews she bought be x pounds

so 9(3) + 5.1x = 4(9+x)
27 + 5.1x = 36 + 4x
1.1x = 9
x = appr 8.18 pounds

So the total mixture weighs 17.18 pounds of which 9 pounds were almonds
percentage of almonds = 9/17.18 = appr.524
or 52.4%