4.

AVERAGES, MIXTURES AND

ALLIGATIONS

Average

Average is a that quantity which represents a number of objects or elements

in a group by one single value. It is an indicator of a specified characteristic of
a group. The average value of a group is calculated by distributing the total
value equally among all the members of a group.

If S is the total value and n is the number of objects in a group, the average A
is calculated using the relation

A=S/n.

The total value S is calculated by adding the individual values of elements of

the group. S= a1+a2+a3+……..an.

The following results are useful to solve problems on averages:

• If the value of each element of a group is increased or decreased by the same

value, the average of the group will also increase of decrease by the same
value.

• If the value of each element in a group is either multiplied or divided by the

same value, the average of the group will also get multiplied or divided by that
value.

Weighted average

When two are more groups are combined to form a single group, then the
average of the new group is NOT equal to the average of the individual
 averages of the group. The average of the newly formed group is called
weighted average and depends on the number of objects in each of the
groups. The weighted average of two groups can be calculated using the
formula

P= (p1q1 + p2q2)/(q1 + q2)

where , p is the weighted average, p1 and p2 are the averages of the two
groups and q1 and q2 are the number of items in the two groups
respectively.

Mixtures

When two or more kinds of substances are mixed, the resultant substance is
said to be a mixture. We assume the two objects do not react with each
other. Mixtures can be of three types:

a) Solids in solids
b) Liquids in liquid

We deal only with the above mentioned forms of mixtures. We calculate the
concentration of different substances in a mixture using the concept of
weighted averages.

Alligation

The equation p=(p1q1+p2q2)/(q1+q2) can be rewritten as q1/q2=(p2-p)/(p-

p1).q1/q2 gives the ratio of combining the mixtures to obtain the derived
concentration of the final mixture. This equation is called rule of allegations. It
can be easily remembered in the pictorial form as shown:

(q1) (q2)

(p2-p) (p-p1)
 Uses of Alligation

• If profit or loss percentages on two items are known, the overall profit or loss
is also known, then the ratio if the prices can be determined.

• If C.Ps of two varieties of an item are known and the desired cost of the
mixture is known, the ratio of mixing can be determined.

• The ratio of principles can be determined if the rates of interest of lending

and the overall rate of interest is known.

Successive Dilution

The concentration of a liquid after n dilutions can be calculated if the volume

of liquid replaced each time is known. The concentration is given by

C= ((V-x)/v))^n

where, V is the original volume and x is the volume of liquid replaced each
time, and n is the number of dilutions.

Sample Problems

1. A student was asked to find 3/7 th of a number and he instead multiplied by

7/3. As a result, he got an answer which was more than the correct answer by
1680. What was the number?

Answer: 882

Thought process: This is a very simple problem. Being fast at computation

helps answer these kinds of questions faster. The solution is as follows:

(7/3 – 3/7)*x = 1680. Solving, we get x=880.

2. A has some chocolate boxes to sell. He sells them either as full boxes or half
boxes. The first customer buys half a box more than half the number of boxes
with A. The second customer buys half a box more than half remaining
number of boxes with A. A sells chocolate boxes in this manner to 8 other
 customers. He is left with no boxes after that. How many chocolate boxes did
he have in the beginning.

Answer: 511

Thought process : This type of problem sets an example of using

backtracking technique to solve problems. In this technique, we start tracing
the problem from the end i.e.. at the end of the 8 th customer, A was left with

no chocolates. Looking at the pattern in which the chocolate boxes were sold,
we can conclude that there was at least one box with A before selling to the
8th customer. Thus following the same pattern, he would have had 3 boxes
before selling to the 7 th customer, 7 boxes before selling to the 6 th customer.

Thus before selling it to the first customer, he would have had 511 boxes of
chocolates.

3. A went to a market to buy apples, bananas and oranges. He bought more

bananas than apples and more oranges than bananas. HE bought a total of
45 fruits and at least 13 of each. Answer the questions given below.

a) If he bought less than 15 bananas, how many oranges did he buy?

b) The cost of an apple, a banana and an orange is Rs.5, Rs.4 and Rs.3
respectively. What is the minimum expenditure A could have incurred?

c) A bought 13 apples. Using the prices in the above question, find the
maximum possible expenditure.

Answer:
a) 18 oranges.

b) Rs. 175

c) Rs. 176

Thought process: a) If he bought less than 15 bananas, the only he could

have bought more bananas than apples is by buying 14 bananas. Number of
apples is 13. Therefore, number of oranges is 18.

b) Maximize the number of oranges to be bought and minimize the number of

apples to be bought. This gives us 18 oranges, 14 bananas and 13 apples.
Hence, the total cost is 18(3) + 14(4) + 13(5) = 175

c) To find maximum expenditure, maximize the number of bananas bought,

minimizing the number of oranges. We therefore get 17 oranges, 15 bananas
and 13 apples, giving a total cost of Rs.176.
4. The cost of 4 pens, eight sharpeners and nine erasers is Rs.136. The cost of 3
pens, 6 sharpeners and 7 erasers is Rs.104. What will the cost of an eraser
be?
a) Rs. 8 b) Rs. 12 c) Rs. 14 d) can’t be determined.

Answer: a) Rs. 8

Thought process: The initial move would be to go for "Cannot be

determined". However, if you observe the equations, you can eliminate 2 of
the variables from the given two equations. You get the following equations
initially.

4x + 8y + 9z = 136
3x + 6y + 7z = 104
Multiply the first equation by 4 and the second equation by 4. You get z=8.

5. The marks scored by a student in three subjects are in the ratio of 4: 5: 6.

If the candidate scored an overall aggregate of 60% of the sum of the
maximum marks and the maximum marks in all three subjects is the same, in
how many subjects did he score more than 60%?

Answer: 1 subject

Thought process: Let the maximum in marks in each of the three subjects
be 100.
Therefore, the candidate scored an aggregate of 60% of 3 * 100 = 60% of
300 marks = 180 marks.
Let the marks scored in the three subjects be 4x, 5x and 6x.
Then, 4x + 5x + 6x = 180
15x = 180 or x = 12.
Therefore, marks scored by the candidate in the three subjects are 4*12,
5*12 and 6*12
= 48, 60 and 72. Hence, the candidate has scored more than 60% in one
subject.

6. A, B and C enter into a partnership by investing Rs.3600, Rs.4400 and

Rs.2800. A is a working partner and gets a fourth of the profit for his services
and the remaining profit is divided amongst the three in the rate of their
investments. What is the amount of profit that B gets if A gets a total of Rs.
8000?

Answer: Rs.4888.88

Thought process: Let x be the profit.

Their investment ratio = 3600: 4400: 2800 = 9: 11: 7
A's profit of Rs. 8000 = (1/4 * x) + 1/3(3/4*x) = 1/2 * x
x = Rs. 16,000
Therefore B's profit = 11/27(3/4 * 16000) = Rs. 4888.88

7. The ratio of marks obtained by Vinod and Basu is 6:5. If the combined
average of their percentage is 68.75 and their sum of the marks is 275, find
the total marks for which exam was conducted.

Answer: 200

Thought process: Let Vinod marks be 6x and Basu's is 5x. Therefore, the
sum of the marks = 6x + 5x = 11x.
But the sum of the marks is given as 275 = 11x. We get x = 25 therefore,
Vinod marks is 6x = 150 and Basu marks = 5x = 125.
Therefore, the combined average of their marks = (150 + 125) / 2 = 137.5.
If the total mark of the exam is 100 then their combined average of their
percentage is 68.75
Therefore, if their combined average of their percentage is 137.5 then the
total marks would be (137.5 / 68.75)*100 = 200.

8. The proportion of milk and water in 3 samples is 2:1, 3:2 and 5:3. A
mixture comprising of equal quantities of all 3 samples is made. The
proportion of milk and water in the mixture is

(1) 2:1 (2) 5:1

(3) 99:61 (4) 227:133

Answer: (4) 227:133

Thought process: Proportion of milk in 3 samples is 2/3, 3/5, 5/8.

Proportion of water in 3 samples is 1/3, 2/5, 3/8.
Since equal quantities are taken,
Total proportion of milk is 2/3 + 3/5 + 5/8 = 227/120
Total proportion of water is 1/3 + 2/5 + 3/8 = 133/120
Proportion of milk and water in the solution is= 227:133

9. A, B and C, each of them working alone can complete a job in 6, 8 and 12

days respectively. If all three of them work together to complete a job and
earn Rs.2340, what ill be C’s share of the earnings?

Answer: Rs.520

Thought process: A, B and C will share the amount of Rs. 2340 in the ratio
of the amounts of work done by them.
We can find that the ratio of work done by them will be equal to 1/6 : 1/8 :
1/12 or
4: 3: 2. [Use concept from time and work].
Therefore, C's share will be 2340* 2/9 = 520.

10. The monthly incomes of A and B are in the ratio 4 : 5, their expenses are
in the ratio 5 : 6. If 'A' saves Rs.25 per month and 'B' saves Rs.50 per month,
what are their respective incomes?

Answer: Rs.400 and Rs.500

Thought process: Let A's income is = 4x

A's expenses, therefore = 4x - 25
Let B's income be = 5x
B's expenses, therefore = 5x - 50
We know that the ratio of their expenses = 5: 6

Therefore, we have
24x - 150 = 25x - 250 or x= 100. A's income is 4x=400 and B's income is
5x=500.