What is this equation for?

I have been given a formula on the topic of alloys and temperature, however am unsure specifically what this equation calculates. The equation is as follows:


$xC\_{1} + (1 - x) C\_{2} = C\_{3}$


I am assuming that the C's will be given (and possibly represent Specific Heat?) - however exactly what is this equation to represent? What does solving for $x$ achieve?


I know that the letters used may vary, however our teacher has provided no more information due to sickness. I have provided all the information I know.




I fear that without additional information it will be difficult to provide you with a definitive answer. The $x$ usually represents the [mole fraction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_fraction) and in the context of a 2-component alloy this seems plausible. The $C$s might indeed be specific heat constants, i.e. $C\_{3}$ would be the specific heat of the alloy and $C\_{1}$ and $C\_{2}$ would be the specific heats of the components making up the alloy, whereby component 1 would have a mole fraction of $x$ and component 2 would have a mole fraction of $(1-x)$. For a mixture of ideal gases such a formula would be correct but I doubt that it will work well with alloys in the real world. But if this came up in the context of a school lesson then the approximation might be ok.


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