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Alligationrulehelpsustofind,inwhatratiotwomixtureswithdifferentconcentrationsaretobemixedtogeta
targetconcentration.

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AssumethatinanengineeringcollegeECEbranchaverageaggregateis80%andthatofCSEis68%.Inwhat
ratiothestudentsintheseclassesaretobemixedtogetanaggregateof76%?
TakeECEclassaverageasA ,CSEclassaverageasA .Iftherearen studentsinECEandn studentsin
1

CSEthentheoverallaverageA
n1 A 1 + n2 A 2
n1 + n2

avg

iscalculatedasfollows

= A avg

Ifwerearrangethisequation

n1 A 1 + n2 A 2 = A avg (n1 + n2 )

n2 (A 2 A avg ) = n1 (A avg A 1 )

n1
n2

(A 2 A avg )
=
(A avg A 1 )

Toapplythisruleeasilywefollowasmalldiagram

1k

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4.6k

Eventhoughalligationruleiswidelyappliedinmixtures,wecanseethisruleinmanyareasacrossarithmetic.

Competitiveexamiswhereyouneedtosolveproblemsinextremetimeconstraints.Soyouneedtodevelopclear
understandingofconceptstosolveproblemsquickly.Letusdiscussaclassicproblemtounderstandhowsolid
conceptsenableustoclearthetestseasily.

Acaskcontainsalcoholsolutionwithconcentration18%.If6Litersofthismixtureistakenoutandreplacedwith
water,thenconcentrationdropsto15%.Whatistheoriginalvolumeinthecask.
Explanation:

Youcanobservefromthediagram,concentrationremainsthesameafter6literswereremovedfromthecask.
Concentrationchangesinverselyproportionaltothevolumeofwateraddedtothemixture.Sochangeinthe
concentrationhappenedonlyfromsecondstagetothirdchange.

Method1:
Weknowthattotalalcoholcomponentinthemixtureisequaltoalcoholcomponentinthemixturethathasbeen
takenoutplusremainingalcoholinthecask.soassumeinitialorfinalvolumeisVliters.
18%(V)=18%(6)+15%(V)
3%(V)=18%(6)
V=36
Method2:
Volumeandconcentrationareinverselyproportionaltoeachother.
IV=initialvolumeIC=initialconcentrationFV=FinalvolumeFC=Finalconcentration
IVxIC=FVxFC
(V6)x18%=Vx15%
(V6)/V=6/5
SoV=36

Method3:
Wecanalsosolvethisproblembyusingalligationrule.Itstatesthatinwhatrationtwocomponentsaremixedto
getatargetedconcentration.Wecanapplythisruletothisproblemforthesecondstage.Weaddedwaterwhich
isat0%concentrationtoamixtureof18%concentrationtogetasolutionwith15%concentration.

SoweunderstandfromtheabovediagramMixtureandwatershouldbemixedintheration15:3togetdesired
concentration15%.Butweknowthat3unitsofwaterisequalto6litersso15unitsofmixtureisequalto30liters.
Totalvolumeisequalto30+6=36.Pleasenotethatinthesecondstagethevolumeisequalto(V6)
Method4:
InitialCondition18%=(A:W)=18:82
FinalCondition15%=(A:W)=15:85

WeknowthatthereisnochangeinthePurealcoholcomponentfromsecondstagetothirdstage.sowecan
equatealcoholcomponentintheabovetwoequationbymultiplyingwithappropriatenumbers.Nowweobservea
changeinthewatercomponentsfrom41to51.Thisisduetothewaterweaddedtothemixture.Weadded6
litersofwaterwhichisequalto10unitschangeinthemixture.so
10Units=6Liters
60Units=36Liters
Method5:
Wecanusethisformula
F C = I C (1

x
v

15% = 18%(1

)
x

Heren=1becausewemadethissubstitutiononlyonce.
(

15

= (1

18

v
= 1

6
6

6
v

= 1

v = 36

PracticeProblems
1.Apersoncovers800kmpartlyataspeedof50kmphandpartlyataspeedof150kmph,in10hoursoverall.
Whatisthedistancecoveredatthespeedsof150kmph?
Hisaveragespeedfortheentirejourneyis

800

= 80

10

Nowweneedtofindinwhatratioheneedstotravel800km,partlyat50kmph,and150kmphtogetaveragespeed
of80kmph

Soforevery70partsofthetimetravelledat50kmph,hehastotravel30partsare150kmph.
Asthetotaltimeis10hourshemusthavetravelled

30

30

=10hoursat150kmph

70 + 30

2.ThecostofoilisRs.100perkilogram.Afteradulterationwithanotheroil,whichcostsRs.50perkilogram,Ram

sellsthemixtureatRs.96perkilogrammakingaprofitof20%.Inwhatratidoeshemixthetwokindsofoil?
Beforeapplyingthealligationruleweneedtomakesurethatalltheperametersareinthesameunits.Here2
costspricesand1sellingpricewasgiven.Soweshouldconverthesellingpriceintocostprice.
GivenC . P

C. P =

(100 + 20)% = 96

96

C . P

96
120

120%

96

100

= 80

120

100

Nowweapplythealligationrule.

SoThesetwomustbemixedintheratio3:2.

3.Twosolutionsofmilkandwaterarecombinedintheratio2:3byvolume.Theresultantsolutionisa40%milk
solution.Findthemilkconcentrationinthefirstsolutioniftheconcentrationofmilkinthesecondis60%?
Itwasgiventhatn

: n2

concentrationis40.

areintheratio2:3andsecondsolutionconcentrationis60andresultantsolution

20

Fromtheaboveweknowthat20,40xmustbeintheratio2:3

40 x

x = 10

4.Ashopkeepersold45kg.ofgoods.Ifhesellssomequantityatalossof3%andrestat17%profit,making5%
profitonthewhole,findthequantitysoldatprofit.

Note:175=12,and5(3)=5+3=8
Therefore,Ratioofquantitiessoldatprofitandatloss=8:12=2:3
Therefore,Quantitysoldatprofit=

x45=18kg.

5.Amixtureof70litresofwineandwatercontains10%water.Howmuchwatershouldbeaddedtomake25%
waterintheresultingmixture?

Therefore,Theratiois75:15=5:1.
Therefore,Forevery5litresofmixture,1litreofwaterisadded.
Therefore,For70litres,watertobeadded=

x70=14litres.

AlternativeMethod:
Water=10%of70litres=7litres
Wine=707=63litres
Now,inthenewmixture,wateris25%andwineis75%.
Hence,innewmixturewineis3timesofwater.
Therefore,Waterinnewmixture=

x63=21litres

Therefore,Watertobeadded=217=14litres
6.AmanpurchasedahorseandacowforRs.5000.Hesellsthehorseat20%profitandthecowat10%loss.If
hegains2%onthewholetransaction,thecostofthehorseis:

Therefore,Ratiobetweencostofahorseandthatofacow=12:18=2:3.
Therefore,Costofthehorse=

x5000=Rs.2000

7.Inanexamination,astudentgets3marksforeverycorrectanswerandloses1markforeverywronganswer.If
hescores'0'marksinapaperof100questions,howmanyofhisanswerswerecorrect?

Therefore,Ratioofcorrectandwronganswers=1:3
Therefore,Correctanswers=

x100=25

8.Thebattingaverageofacricketplayeris72runsperinning.Inthenext4inning,hecouldscoreonly80runs
andtherebydecreaseshisbattingaverageby2runs.Whatistotalnumberofinningplayedbyhimtilllastmatch?
Averageoflast4inning=

80
4

=20runs

Averageofinningplayedearlier=72runs
Newaverage=722=70runs

Ratioofinningplayed(beforeandafter)=50:2=25:1
Given,inningsplayed(after)=4
Therefore,Inningplayed(before)=25x4=100
Therefore,Totalinningplayed=100+4=104
AlternativeMethod:
Averagerunsinthelast4inning=

80

=20runs

Shortfrompreviousaverage=7220=52
Short(total)=52x4
But,shortruns(perinning)=2runs
Therefore,Totalinningplayed=

52 4

=104inning

MixturesandReplacements
Theproblemsrelatedtomixturesbasedontwoimportantconcepts.AlligationruleandInverseproportionalityrule
arethetwo.
Intheseproblemsweareaskedtofindtheresultantconcentrationaftermixingtwoorthreecomponentsorthefinal
concentrationwhenonecomponentofthemixtureisbeingreplacedbyanothercomponentwhichismostlyonethe
componentsofthemixture.

Thegeneralformulaforreplacementsisasfollows:FC = IC (1

Here
FC=Finalconcentration
IC=Inititalconcentration
x=replacementquantity
V=Finalvolumeafterreplacement
n=numberofreplacements
Note:AlwaysrememberFCandICaretheconcentrationsofthesecondcomponentinthemixture."x"isthe
concentrationofthefirstcomponent.
9.Fromasolutioncontainingmilkandwaterintheratio3:4,10Lisremovedandreplacedbywater.Ifthe
resultantsolutioncontainsmilkandwaterintheratio1:2thenwhatwastheamountoftheoriginalsolution?
Herealsowearereplacingwithwater.SoFCandICmustbemilkconcentrations.
Initialconcentrationofthemilk=3/7
Finalconcentrationofthemilk=1/3
Applyingformula
1

(1

7
7

= 1

10

9
2

10

V
=

10
V

V = 45

10.10%ofasolutionofmilkandwaterisremovedandthenreplacedwiththesameamountofwater.Ifthe
resultingratioofmilkandwateris2:3,findtheratioofmilkandwaterintheoriginalsolution.
Applyingformula:

= K (1

10

100

Here2/5isthemilkconcentration.

2
5

= K

9
10

K =

4
9

11.Abeakerhad20Lofalcoholglycerolmixtureintheratio4:1byvolume.Inthefirstround,4Lofthemixtureis
removedandreplacedwithglycerol.Inthesecondround,5Loftheresultantsolutionisremovedandreplacedwith
glycerol.Finally,10Loftheresultantmixtureisremovedandreplacedwithglycerol.Whatisthefinalquantityof
glycerolinthemixture
Herewearereplacingthemixturewithglycerol.SowehavetotakeAlcoholconcentrationsforICandFC.
Initialconcentrationofalcoholis4/5=80%
Applyingtheformulaforthefirstreplacement:
4

FC = 80% (1

20

HereF C istheconcentrationafterfirstreplacement.
1

Secondreplacement:
FC

= FC

(1

20

ThirdReplacement:
FC

= FC

10

(1

20

NowsubstitutingtheFC andFC inFC weget

1

FC

= 80% (1

) (1

20

F C

= 80%

F C

) (1

20

10

20

1
2

= 24%

12.Inamixtureof80L,milkandwaterareintheratio7:3.If24Lofthismixtureisreplacedby16Lifmilk,findthe
finalratioofmilkandwater.
Finalvolumeofthemixture=8024+16=72
Replacementquantity=16
Applyingformula,
FC =

(1

10
FC =

3
10

16

72

7
9

7
30

SoMilkandWaterafterreplacement=23:7

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