A er buys two kinds of fertilizer. Fertilizer A contains 60% filler materials by weight and Fertilizer B contains 40%

Question

A er buys two kinds of fertilizer. Fertilizer A contains 60% filler materials by weight and Fertilizer B contains 40% filler materials by weight. Together, the fertilizers bought by the er contain a total of 240 pounds of filler materials. Which equation models this relationship, where x is the number of pounds of Fertilizer A and y is the number of pounds of Fertilizer B?

A.

$zero point 4 x, plus zero point 6 y, equals 240$

B.

$zero point 6 x, plus zero point 4 y, equals 240$

C.

$40 x, plus, 60 y, equals 240$

D.

$60 x, plus 40 y, equals 240$

Accepted Answer

Choice B is correct. Since Fertilizer A contains 60% filler materials by weight, it follows that x pounds of Fertilizer A consists of 0.6 x pounds of filler materials. Similarly, y pounds of Fertilizer B consists of 0.4 y pounds of filler materials. When x pounds of Fertilizer A and y pounds of Fertilizer B are combined, the result is 240 pounds of filler materials. Therefore, the total amount, in pounds, of filler materials in a mixture of x pounds of Fertilizer A and y pounds of Fertilizer B can be expressed as . Choice A is incorrect. This choice transposes the percentages of filler materials for Fertilizer A and Fertilizer B. Fertilizer A consists of 0.6 x pounds of filler materials and Fertilizer B consists of 0.4 y pounds of filler materials. Therefore, is equal to 240, not . Choice C is incorrect. This choice transposes the percentages of filler materials for Fertilizer A and Fertilizer B and incorrectly represents how to take the percentage of a value mathematically. Choice D is incorrect. This choice incorrectly represents how to take the percentage of a value mathematically. Fertilizer A consists of 0.6 x pounds of filler materials, not 60 x pounds of filler materials, and Fertilizer B consists of 0.4 y pounds of filler materials, not 40 y pounds of filler materials.

Question a-er-b