16. What percent of water must be mixed with honey so as to gain 20% by selling the mixture at the cost price of honey ?

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The correct answer is option A. Let's assume the cost price (CP) of 1 unit of honey is Re. 1. If we start with 100 units of honey, its total CP is Rs. 100. The problem states that the mixture is sold at the cost price of honey, meaning the selling price (SP) per unit of mixture is Re. 1. To achieve a 20% gain, the profit must be 20% of the initial CP. Profit = 20% of Rs. 100 = Rs. 20. The total selling price of the mixture will be CP + Profit = Rs. 100 + Rs. 20 = Rs. 120. Since each unit of mixture is sold for Re. 1, an SP of Rs. 120 implies that the total quantity of the mixture is 120 units. The original quantity of honey was 100 units. Therefore, the quantity of water mixed = Total mixture - Quantity of honey = 120 - 100 = 20 units. The percentage of water mixed (relative to honey) = (Quantity of water / Quantity of honey) × 100 = (20 / 100) × 100 = 20%. This question is a common type in profit and loss, involving adulteration to achieve a specific profit margin.

Q16. 16. What percent of water must be mixed with honey so as to gain 20% by selling the mixture at the cost price of honey ?

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