Alligation And

Mixture
Mixture:Mixing of two or more than two type of
quantities gives us a mixture.

Example:

Quantities of these elements can be expressed as

percentage or ratio.(20% of sugar in water)

Fraction ( A solution of sugar and water such that

sugar : water = 1:4)
Alligations : Alligation is a rule which is
used to solve the problems related to
mixture and its ingredient.

It is the rule that enables us to find the

ratio in which two or more ingredients at
the given price must be mixed to produce
a mixture of desired price.
Categories of Questions:

Category Description
Type I Profit and Loss based
questions

Type II Mixture with water

Type III Mixture from two vessels

Type IV Mixture of more than two

elements
Type V Removal & Replacement
Alligation Rule
Whentwoelementsaremixedtomakeamixtureand
one of the elements is cheaper and other one is
costlierthen,
Explanation:
Suppose x kg of Cheaper quality is mixed with y kg of Superior
quality.

Price of Cheaper Ingredient = Rs. cx

Price of Superior Ingredient = Rs. dy
Price of Mixture = Rs. (cx + dy)
And Quantity of mixture = (x + y) kg
Price of mixture(m)/kg = Rs. (cx + dy) / (x + y)

So, cx + dy =m
x+y
cx + dy = mx + my
dy my = mx cx
y(d-m) = x(m-c)
x/y = d m / m c
Diagram Representation
Q1. In what proportion must rice at Rs. 3.10 per
kg be mixed with rice at Rs. 3.60 per kg, so that
the mixture be worth Rs. 3.25 a kg?

A.2:3
B.5:3
C.7:3
D.8:3

Ans: C
Q2. A butler stole wine from a butt of a sherry
which contained 40% of spirit. He replaced
what he had stolen by wine containing only
16% spirit. The butt was then of 24% strength
only. How much of the butt did he steal?
A.2/3
B.2/5
C.2/7
D.1/3

Ans: A
Solution:
Wine A Wine B
40 16 - Percentage of spirit
24
8 16
1 : 2 - Ratio of quantity in which mixed

So, if the quantity was same, it means 1 out of 3 parts was

Wine A after mixing. Which means the remaining 2/3 part
is the quantity of Wine A which was replaced by Wine B
Ans: 2/3
Type I: Gain and Loss based

Q3. How many kg of tea worth Rs. 25/kg

must be blended with 30 kg of tea worth
Rs. 30/kg so that by selling the blended
variety at Rs. 30/kg there should be a gain
of 10%?

A.36 kg
B.40 kg
C.32 kg
D.None

Ans: A
Q4. How many Kg of salt at 42 p per kg must
a man mix with 25 kg of salt at 24p per kg
so that, he may on selling the mixture at
40 p per kg, gain 25% on the outlay?
A.10
B.15
C.20
D.25

Ans: C
Type II: Mixture with water.

Q5. How much water be added to 14 litres of

milk worth Rs. 5.40 a litre so that the value of
the mixture may be Rs. 4.20 a litre ?

A.7 litres
B.6 litres
C.5 litres
D.4 litres

Ans: D
Q6. In what ratio must water be added to
spirit to gain 20% by selling it at the cost
price?

A.1 : 11
B.1 : 5
C.1 : 10
D.1 : 9

Ans: B
Let C.P of Spirit be Re 1 per litre .

Then , S.P of 1 litre of mixture = Re 1.

Gain obtained = 20%

C.P. Of 1 litre of mixture = Rs ((100/120 )* 1) = 5/6

By the rule of alligation , we have :

Therefore ratio of water and milk = ( 1/6 ) : ( 5 / 6) = 1 : 5.

Q7. In what proportion must water be mixed
with spirit to gain 16 2/3 % by selling it at a
cost price?
A.1:5
B.2:5
C.3:5
D.1:6

Ans: D
CP of water is Rs. 0 /L (Water is assumed to be free)
Let the CP of spirit be Re 1 /L
So, S.P of the mixture will also be Re 1 / L
Profit= 16 2/3 %= 50/3 %
For the mixture,
P%= [(S.P-C.P)/CP]X100
50/3 = [(1-x)/x] (Let C.P be x)
5x=30-30x
35x=30
X=30/35 = 6/7 = C.P of mixture

W S
0 1
6/7
1/7 6/7
Hence, required ratio is 1:6
Type III: Mixture from two vessels
Q8. In what ratio should a coffee blend
containing coffee and chicory in the ration 3 : 7
and another blend with coffee to chicory ration
as 2 : 3 be mixed so that the resultant blend
will have to coffee to chicory ration of 7 : 13?
A.2 : 1
B.1 : 1
C.3 : 5
D.Cannot be Determined

Ans: B
Let x and y be the quantity of the first and the second blends
mixed.
Then in the resultant blend the quantity of coffee = (3/10)x
+(2/5)y
and the quantity of chicory = (7/10)x + (3/5)y.

By the given condition,

{(3/10)x + (2/5)y} : {(7/10)x + (3/5)y} = 7 : 13 or
{(3/10)x + (2/5)y}/{(7/10)x + (3/5)y} = 7/13 or
13{(3/10)x + (2/5)y} = 7{(7/10)x + (3/5)y} or
{(26/5) (21/5)}y = {(49/10) (39/10)}x or
y = x.
The ratio is 1 : 1.
Q9. Milk and water mixed in a vessel A in the
proportion 5:2, and in vessel B in the proportion
8:5. In what proportion should quantities be taken
from the two vessels so as to form a mixture in
which milk and water will be in the proportion of
9:4?
A.5:2
B.3:1
C.7:3
D.7:2

Ans: D
Type IV: Mixture of more than two elements(Three elements)

Q10.Inwhatproportionmaythreekindsofwheatat
Rs1.27,Rs1.29andRs1.32perKgbemixedto
producemixtureworthRs1.30perKg?
A.2:2:4
B.1:2:3
C.2:3:4
D.1:3:4

Ans:A
Q11.Inwhatratiomustapersonmixthreekindsoftea
costingRs.60/kg,Rs.75/kgandRs.100/kgsothatthe
resultantmixturewhensoldatRs.96/kgyieldsaprofitof
20%?

A.1:2:4
B.3:7:6
C.1:4:2
D.Noneofthese

Ans:C
Type V: Removal and Replacement

If a vessel contains x liters of liquid A and if y

liters be withdrawn and replaced by liquid B, then if
y liters of the mixture be withdrawn and replaced
by liquid B, and the operation is repeated n times in
all, then :

F.C = I.C(1-y/x)n

FC= Final concentration

IC= Initial concentration
y = no. of liters replaced
x = Total concentration
n = total number of iterations
Q12. A vessel contains 125 litres of wine. 25
litres of wine was taken out of the vessel and
replaced by water. Then, 25 litres of mixture
was withdrawn and again replaced by water.
The operation was repeated for third time.
How much wine is now left in the vessel?
A.49 L
B.64 L
C.72 L
D.56 L

Ans: B
Q13. A container contains 40 liters of milk.
From this container 4 liters of milk was taken
out and replaced with water. This process
was repeated further three times. How much
milk is now contained by the container?
A.27.36 L
B.26.24 L
C.29.36 L
D.24.36 L

Ans: B
Practice
Questions
Q1.Seawatercontains5%saltbyweight.Howmany
kilogramsoffreshwatermustbeaddedto40kgofsea
waterforthesaltcontentofthesolutiontobe2%?

A.50
B.60
C.65
D.70

Ans:B
Q2.AmanbuystwocowsforRs.1350andsellsonefor
lossof6%andtheotherforgainof7.5%andonthe
wholeheneithergainsnorloses.Whatdoeseachcow
cost?

A.Rs.850,Rs.500
B.Rs.650,Rs.700
C.Rs.750,Rs.600
D.Rs.550,Rs.800

Ans:C
Q3.Inamixtureof60L,theratioofmilkandwateris
2:1,Iftherateofmilkandwateristobe1:2,thenthe
amountofwatertobefurtheraddedmustbe?

A.12L
B.20L
C.40L
D.60L

Ans: D
Q4.Analcoholwatermixtureof729Lisintheratio
7:2,howmuchmorewateristobeaddedtogetanew
alcoholandwaterratioof7:3?

A.81L
B.72L
C.80L
D.78L

Ans:A
Q5.ApersonhasHydrogenPeroxideofRs.50perliter.
WatershouldbemixedinwhatratiowithHydrogen
Peroxide,sothataftersellingthemixtureat40perliter,
hegetsagainof50%?

A.7:8
B.9:8
C.6:8
D.7:9

Ans:A
Q6.Amixtureofcertainquantityofjuicewith32litersof
waterisworth1.50perliter.Ifpurejuiceistobeworth
4.50perliter,howmuchjuiceisthereinthemixture?

A.18L
B.14L
C.16L
D.20L

Ans:C