Mixture Problems
Mixture problems in Profit and Loss involve combining two or more different
items with different costs or profit percentages to create a single mixture or
combination. The goal is often to determine the overall cost price, selling price,
or profit/loss percentage of the combined mixture. These problems are
particularly common in scenarios involving commodities such as grains, liquids,
or alloys where items of different qualities or prices are mixed together.
In mixture problems, we aim to determine how the cost price or selling price of
a mixture is affected when items of different prices are combined, and how the
profit or loss is calculated from the resulting mixture.
Key Concepts in Mixture Problems:
1. Cost Price of Mixture:
● The Cost Price of the mixture is the weighted average of the cost
prices of the individual items in the mixture, based on the quantities
used.
2. Profit/Loss in Mixture:
● The Profit/Loss Percentage is calculated based on the overall cost
price of the mixture and the selling price of the mixture.
● If a trader mixes a higher-cost item with a lower-cost item and sells
the mixture at a certain price, profit or loss will depend on the
comparison between the cost price of the mixture and the selling
price.
Cost Price of the Mixture:
∑(𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚 × 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚)
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 = 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑖𝑥𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
Where: The cost prices of individual items are weighted by their quantities.
Example 1: A shopkeeper mixes two types of sugar: one costing Rs. 50 per
kg and the other costing Rs. 30 per kg. He mixes them in the ratio 1 : 1. If
he sells the mixture at Rs. 45 per kg, what is his profit per kg?
Solution:
Calculating the Cost Price per kg of the Mixture:
Since the two types of sugar are mixed in a 1:1 ratio,
The average cost price per kg of the mixture is = (50 + 30) / 2
= 80 / 2 = 40 Rs per kg.
The selling price of the mixture is Rs. 45 per kg.
Profit per kg = Selling Price - Cost Price
Profit per kg = 45 - 40 = 5 Rs per kg.
∴ The correct answer is 5 Rs per kg.
Example 2: A shopkeeper mixes two types of rice. One type costs Rs. 60 per
kg, and the other costs Rs. 40 per kg. He mixes 10 kg of each type and sells
the entire 20 kg mixture at Rs. 55 per kg. What is his profit or loss per kg?
Solution:
Given:
The shopkeeper mixes 10 kg of rice costing Rs. 60 per kg and 10 kg of rice
costing Rs. 40 per kg.
Calculation:
Total cost of the first type of rice = 10 kg × 60 = Rs. 600.
Total cost of the second type of rice = 10 kg × 40 = Rs. 400.
Total cost price for 20 kg mixture = 600 + 400 = Rs. 1000.
Cost price per kg of the mixture = 1000 / 20 = Rs. 50.
Calculating the Total Selling Price (SP):
The selling price per kg is Rs. 55.
Total selling price for 20 kg = 20 × 55 = Rs. 1100.
Calculating Profit or Loss per kg:
Profit per kg = Selling Price per kg - Cost Price per kg.
Profit per kg = 55 - 50 = Rs. 5 per kg.
∴ The correct answer is 5 Rs per kg.
Example 3: A shopkeeper mixed good quality rice costing Rs. 80 per kg with
low quality rice costing Rs. 40 per kg in the ratio 3 : 2. If he sold the mixture
at a price of Rs. 70 per kg, find his profit.
Solution:
Quantity of good quality rice in 1 kg mixture = 3/5 kg
Cost of good quality rice in 1 kg mixture = 3/5 × 80 = Rs. 48
Quantity of low quality rice in 1 kg mixture = 2/5 kg
Cost of low quality rice in 1 kg mixture = 2/5 × 40 = Rs. 16
Cost price of 1 kg mixture = 48 + 16 = Rs. 64
Given, Selling price of 1 kg mixture = Rs. 70
Profit = 70 – 64 = Rs. 6
% Profit = (6/64) × 100 = 9.375%
∴ The correct answer is 9.375%.
Example 4: A petrol pump owner mixes 105 liters of petrol of price Rs.
65/liter with 5 liters of kerosene of price Rs. 15/liter. At what price does he
sell the adulterated petrol to gain 10% per liter?
Solution:
Total cost of petrol = (65 × 105) = Rs. 6825
Total cost of kerosene = (5 × 15) = Rs. 75
∴ Total cost = 6825 + 75 = Rs. 6900
Total quantity of mixture = 105 + 5 = 110 liters
Hence, New price of mixture = Rs. (6900/110) = Rs. (690/11)
After adding the gain of 10%,
New selling price = Rs. [(690/11) + 10% of (690/11)]
= [(690/11) + (69/11)]
= Rs. 69
∴ The correct answer is Rs 69.
Example 5: A man has 1800 kg of rice, he sold the rice in two parts. One
part of x kg is sold at 8% profit and the rest part of y kg at 17% profit. He
gains 12% in the whole deal. By what percent y is less than x?
Solution:
Short Trick:
Ratio of x and y = (17 – 12) ∶ (12 – 8) = 5 ∶ 4
⇒ x kg = 1800 × 5/9 = 1000 kg
⇒ y = 800 kg
Required percentage = 200/1000 × 100% = 20%
∴ The correct answer is 20%.
Detailed Solution:
x + y = 1800 …… (1)
According to the question,
x × 8/100 + y × 17/100 = (x + y) × 12/100
⇒ 8x + 17y = 12x + 12y
⇒ 4x = 5y
⇒ y = 4x/5 …… (2)
From (1) and (2) we get,
x + 4x/5 = 1800
⇒ 9x/5 = 1800
⇒ x = 1000
⇒ y = 1800 – 1000 = 800
Required percentage = (1000 – 800)/1000 × 100%
= 200/1000 × 100% = 20%
∴ The correct answer is 20%.
Example 6: A milkman makes 20% profit by selling milk mixed with water at
Rs.8 per litre. If the cost price of pure milk is Rs. 10 per litre then the ratio
of milk and water in the given mixture.
Solution:
Given:
The cost price of pure milk = Rs.10/litre
The selling price of the mixture = Rs.8/litre
Profit = 20%
The cost price of pure milk is Rs. 10 per litre.
Calculation:
Since, 8 × 100/120 = Rs.20/3
The ratio of milk and water is 2 ∶ 1.
∴ The correct answer is 2 : 1.
Alternate Method
Cost price of 1 litre mixture = 8 × 100/120 = Rs.20/3
Cost of water = Rs. 0
It means in the mixture there is only milk’s cost which is Rs.20/3.
Remaining cost = Rs. (10 – 20/3)
= Rs. 10/3
Water/milk = cost of water which is mixed in place of milk/cost of milk which is
mixed
Water/milk = (10/3)/(20/3)
= 1/2
Milk ∶ water = 2 ∶ 1
∴ The correct answer is 2 ∶ 1.