AMC 10 · 2006 · #6

Grade 6 rate-ratio
ratio-proportionrateunit-conversion dimensional-analysis ↑ Prerequisites: ratio-proportion
📏 Medium solution 💡 2 insights
Problem
Three ingredients of known weight and known calories are mixed together. Find how many calories are in a 200-gram serving.

Pick an answer.

(A)
129
(B)
137
(C)
174
(D)
223
(E)
411
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

Adding the calories gives 411.

25 + 386 + 0 = 411 calories
2STEP 2

Add up the grams

Adding the weights, including the calorie-free one, gives 600.

100 + 100 + 400 = 600 grams
3STEP 3

Scale down to 200 grams

The serving is one third of the batch, giving 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