# Math Help - help

1. ## help

question:
Know the answer, but need to show the process:

I have 25 coins in my pocket, totalling $3.65, how many nickels and how many quarters? thanks 2. Originally Posted by jimbo 64 question: Know the answer, but need to show the process: I have 25 coins in my pocket, totalling$3.65, how many nickels and how many quarters?

thanks
as stated, this problem has many answers. you need an extra condition to cut it down to one answer. and you ONLY have nickels and quarters, right?

3. correct, no other conditions, just nickles & quarters.

Thanks

4. Originally Posted by jimbo 64
correct, no other conditions, just nickles & quarters.

Thanks
as i said, there must be other conditions, otherwise, we would have too many answers, which i do not think is the intention of the question, as hardly any mathematical logic or equation would be needed to find solutions.

for instance, you can have:

1 quarter and 68 nickels, or

2 quarters and 63 nickels, or

3 quarters and 58 nickels, or
.
.
.

as you can see, there are many answers that we can come up with, as easily as choosing how many quarters we want and then working out how many nickels the remainder should be. there must be something else to this question. usually questions like these would also say something like, "there are twice as many nickels as there are quarters" or "when you subtract the number of quarters from the number of nickels you get x" or something

5. Originally Posted by jimbo 64
question:
Know the answer, but need to show the process:

I have 25 coins in my pocket, totalling \$3.65, how many nickels and how many quarters?

thanks
Let x = no. of nickels, y = no. of quarters. Then:

5x + 25y = 365 => x + 5y = 73 .... (1)

x + y = 25 .... (2)

Solve (1) and (2) simultaneously.

6. Originally Posted by mr fantastic
Let x = no. of nickels, y = no. of quarters. Then:

5x + 25y = 365 => x + 5y = 73 .... (1)

x + y = 25 .... (2)

Solve (1) and (2) simultaneously.
hehe, i never saw the "25 coins" part. i need to learn to read again