How do I find percentage of a substance in a mixture?

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In summary: He is asking for cocoa solid (from liquid cocoa) so dx/dt + 6x(100+3) = 3His differential equation is still wrong. In this problem, the concentration of the cocoa liquid is always twice the concentration of the cocoa solids. If I put x = 2y in my equation, I get dy/dt + 9y/(100+3t) = 3/(100+3t)where y is the concentration of cocoa solid. The coefficient of 6 in his equation is incorrect. If the volume V of liquid in the tank is changing with time, then
  • #1
proctortom
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How is this question done??


Milk chocolate is being produced in a 300 litre tank, which initially contains 100 litres of milk. The following things then occur simultaneously:

1. Liquid cocoa (made up of equal parts cocoa solids and cocoa butter, both in liquid form) is added at a rate of 6 litres per minute.

2. Milk is added at a rate of 3 litres per minute.  The well-stirred mixture leaves the tank via a tube, at a rate of 6 litres per minute.

The differential equation for dx/dt + 6x / (100 + 3t) = 3
...Therefore...
x(t) = (9t^3 + 900t^2 + 30,000t) / (3t + 100)^2

Find the time in minutes (t) for the mixture to be 25% Cocoa solids.
 
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  • #2
Hey proctortom.

What does the x in the x(t) refer to?
 
  • #3
I get a differential equation that does not agree with yours. I am assuming that x is the volume fraction of liquid cocoa in the tank.

Total volume in tank at time t = (100 + 3t) liters

Rate of liquid cocoa entering = 6 lpm

Rate of liquid cocoa leaving = 6x lpm

Rate of liquid cocoa accumulation = d ((100 + 3t) x )/dt

Differential equation:

d ((100 + 3t) x )/dt = 6 - 6x

Or equivalently:

(100 + 3t) dx/dt + 9x = 6

Solution:

x = (2/3)(1 - 106/(100 + 3t)3)
 
  • #4
Chestermiller said:
I get a differential equation that does not agree with yours. I am assuming that x is the volume fraction of liquid cocoa in the tank.

Total volume in tank at time t = (100 + 3t) liters

Rate of liquid cocoa entering = 6 lpm

Rate of liquid cocoa leaving = 6x lpm

Rate of liquid cocoa accumulation = d ((100 + 3t) x )/dt

Differential equation:

d ((100 + 3t) x )/dt = 6 - 6x

Or equivalently:

(100 + 3t) dx/dt + 9x = 6

Solution:

x = (2/3)(1 - 106/(100 + 3t)3)

He is asking for cocoa solid (from liquid cocoa) so dx/dt + 6x(100+3) = 3

Does anyone know how to do this

"After the tank is full, the process continues as above. However, in addition to the well-stirred mixture leaving via the tube, it also flows over the edges of the tank and is collected by overflow tubing which takes it to the cooling process. Let y(t) be the number of litres of cocoa solids present in the tank t minutes after it is full.

Find the differential equation satisfied by y(t)"
 
  • #5
sad_song009 said:
He is asking for cocoa solid (from liquid cocoa) so dx/dt + 6x(100+3) = 3

His differential equation is still wrong. In this problem, the concentration of the cocoa liquid is always twice the concentration of the cocoa solids. If I put x = 2y in my equation, I get

dy/dt + 9y/(100+3t) = 3/(100+3t)

where y is the concentration of cocoa solid. The coefficient of 6 in his equation is incorrect. If the volume V of liquid in the tank is changing with time, then

d(Vy)/dt is not equal to V dy/dt. It is equal to V dy/dt + y dV/dt. He left out the second term which, in this problem, is equal to 3y. I also assert that there should be 100+3t in the denominator on the RHS.

To get the cocoa solids concentration from the solution I gave, just divide by 2.

In the limit of very long times, neglecting the finite capacity of the tank, the concentration of cocoa solids must approach 1/3 (consistent with my solution) since that is the concentration of cocoa solids in the feed, where, at long times, the effects of the initial liquid in the tank become negligible.

Chet
 
Last edited:

1. How do I calculate the percentage of a substance in a mixture?

To calculate the percentage of a substance in a mixture, you need to know the mass of the substance and the total mass of the mixture. You then divide the mass of the substance by the total mass of the mixture and multiply by 100. This will give you the percentage of the substance in the mixture.

2. Can I use volume instead of mass to find the percentage of a substance in a mixture?

Yes, you can use volume instead of mass to find the percentage of a substance in a mixture if you know the density of the substance. You would use the same formula, but instead of mass, you would use the volume of the substance.

3. What if I have multiple substances in a mixture?

If you have multiple substances in a mixture, you would need to find the mass or volume of each individual substance and then add them together to get the total mass or volume of the mixture. From there, you can use the same formula to calculate the percentage of each substance in the mixture.

4. Can I use this method for both homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures?

Yes, you can use this method for both homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. However, for heterogeneous mixtures, it may be more accurate to use a different method such as separation techniques to isolate the substance before calculating the percentage.

5. Is there a specific unit for percentage in a mixture?

The unit for percentage in a mixture is typically denoted by the symbol "%". This indicates that it is a proportion out of 100. However, you can also express percentages as decimals or fractions.

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