MATERIAL BLENDING. Missouri Mineral Products (MMP) purchases two unprocessed ores from Bolivia Mining, which it uses in the production of various compounds. Its current needs are for 800 pounds of...

MATERIAL BLENDING. Missouri Mineral Products (MMP) purchases two unprocessed ores from Bolivia Mining, which it uses in the production of various compounds. Its current needs are for 800 pounds of copper, 600 pounds of zinc, and 500 pounds of iron. The amount of each mineral found in each 1 0 0 pounds of the unprocessed ores and MMP’s cost per 100 pounds are given in the following table.

a. Formulate and solve a linear program to determine the amount of each ore that should be purchased in order to minimize total purchasing costs.

 b. Calculate and interpret the range of optimality for the cost of 1 0 0 pounds of each unprocessed ore.

 c. Suppose the cost of Sucre ore was $250 per 100 pounds. Why would the solution in part (a) not be optimal? What is the reduced cost for Sucre ore in this case? Explain.

 d. Calculate and interpret the shadow prices and the range of feasibility for the requirements for copper, zinc, and iron.

 e. Suppose a constraint were added that required that waste be limited to a maximum of 1 0 0 0 pounds. Characterize this revised problem.