AMC 10 · 2006 · #9

Grade 6 rate-ratio
ratio-proportionrateunit-conversion dimensional-analysis ↑ Prerequisites: ratio-proportion
📏 Medium solution 💡 2 insights
Problem
Francesca mixes 100 grams of lemon juice, 100 grams of sugar, and 400 grams of water into lemonade. That much lemon juice holds 25 calories and that much sugar holds 386 calories, while water holds no calories. Find how many calories are in a 200-gram serving of the mixed lemonade.

Pick an answer.

(A)
129
(B)
137
(C)
174
(D)
233
(E)
411

AMC 10 2006 problem © Mathematical Association of America (MAA AMC). Reproduced for educational use.

How to solve
Strategy Analyze the Units

Calories are spread evenly through the lemonade, so what matters is the calories-per-gram rate. Find the total calories and the total grams of the whole batch, then scale that rate down to the 200-gram serving. Splitting the work into 'total calories' and 'total grams' keeps each number easy.

1STEP 1

Add up the calories

Only lemon juice (25) and sugar (386) carry calories, so the whole batch holds 411 calories.

25 + 386 + 0 = 411 calories
2STEP 2

Add up the grams

The masses add up too: 100 plus 100 plus 400 makes 600 grams of lemonade in all.

100 + 100 + 400 = 600 grams
3STEP 3

Scale down to 200 grams

200 out of 600 grams is one-third of the batch, so the serving holds one-third of 411, namely 137.

200/600 = 1/3, 411 × 1/3 = 411/3 = 137
Answer
137
The serving of 200 grams is one-third of the 600-gram batch, and 137 is very close to one-third of 411, so the size of the answer fits. Choice (E) 411 is the whole batch and (D) 233 is more than half, both too big for a one-third serving; (A) 129 and (C) 174 do not divide 411 evenly by 3. Only 137 gives exactly 411 back when tripled: 137 × 3 = 411.
💡Key takeaway

When something is mixed evenly, a serving carries the same fraction of the calories as it is of the whole batch.

  • Add up the calories
  • Add up the grams
  • Scale down to 200 grams