A solution is made by mixing 20% alcohol with 80% water. If 15 liters of alcohol are used, how many liters of the solution are there in total? - Abbey Badges
Title: How to Calculate Total Volume in an Alcohol-Water Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide
Title: How to Calculate Total Volume in an Alcohol-Water Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide
When preparing a mixture such as a 20% alcohol solution with 80% water, understanding the relationship between the components is key—especially if you know the exact volume of one ingredient. In many practical scenarios, people often encounter a critical question: If 15 liters of pure alcohol are used in a solution made with 20% alcohol and 80% water, how many liters of the final solution are there? The answer lies in simple percentage calculations.
Understanding the Composition of the Solution
Understanding the Context
A solution described as “20% alcohol” means that for every 100 liters of the mixture, 20 liters are alcohol and 80 liters are water. This ratio applies proportionally regardless of the total volume.
Let’s define:
- The volume of alcohol = 20% of the total solution
- The known quantity of alcohol = 15 liters
Let the total volume of the solution be x liters. Then,
20% of x = 15 liters
or
0.20 × x = 15
Solving for Total Volume
Key Insights
To find x, divide both sides by 0.20:
x = 15 ÷ 0.20
x = 75
Thus, the total volume of the solution is 75 liters.
Verifying the Water Content
To ensure accuracy, let’s verify:
- 20% of 75 liters = 0.20 × 75 = 15 liters alcohol ✔
- 80% of 75 liters = 0.80 × 75 = 60 liters water ✔
The values align perfectly with the stated composition.
Final Thoughts
Why This Calculation Matters
Understanding the total volume in concentration-based mixtures is essential in industries such as beverage production, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processing. Whether scaling up a recipe or maintaining consistent batch quality, accurate volume calculations ensure safety, compliance, and reliability.
Conclusion
If 15 liters of alcohol make up 20% of the total solution, the complete mixture contains 75 liters—15 liters of pure alcohol blended with 60 liters of water. This clear, formulaic approach enables quick and confident calculations every time.
Keywords: alcohol solution, water mixture, 20% alcohol concentration, total volume calculation, percentage mixture, how to calculate solution volume, 15 liters alcohol, 80% water mixture, dilution calculation.
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