BTGmoderatorDC wrote: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?
(A) 12
(B) 13
(C) 14
(D) 15
(E) 16
Since oil:vinegar:water = 3:2:1, we get:
part attributed to oil = 3 cups
part attributed to vinegar = 2 cups
part attributed to water = 1 cup
sum of the parts = 3+2+1 = 6 cups
Since Larry has 8 cups of oil, we get:
(available oil)/(part attributed to oil) =
8/3.
The fraction in blue implies that Larry can make 8/3 of the 6-cup mixture:
8/3 * 6 = 16
Since Larry has 7 cups of vinegar, we get:
(available vinegar)/(part attributed to vinegar) =
7/2.
The fraction in red implies that Larry can make 7/2 of the 6-cup mixture:
7/2 * 6 =
21
Since the available amount of oil is sufficient only for 16 cups, the result in red is not possible.
Thus, the maximum amount that can be made = 16 cups.
The correct answer is
E.
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