You have have a jar containing 72 coins, all of which are either quarters or nickels. The total value of the coins in the jar is $8.40. How many of each type of coin do you have?
Total number of coins: T=72 Number of quartes ($0.25): q=? Number of nickels ($0.10): n=?
Number of quarters + Number of nickels = Total number of coins q+n=72 (Equation 1)
Total Value of the coins in the jar: V=$8.40 Value of the quarter's coins: $0.25q Value of the nickel's coins: $0.05n
Value of the quarter's coins + Value of the nickel's coin=Total value of the coins in the jar $0.25q+0.05n=$8.40 0.25q+0.05n=8.40 (Equation 2)
We have a system of 2 equations and 2 unknowns (q and n): (1) q+n=72 (2) 0.25q+0.05n=8.40
Using the method of substitution: Let's isolate q in the first equation: (1) q+n=72 (1) q+n-n=72-n (1) q=72-n
Let's replace q by 72-n in the second equation: (2) 0.25q+0.05n=8.40 0.25(72-n)+0.05n=8.40 Applying the distributive property: (0.25)(72)-0.25n+0.05n=8.40 Multiplying the constant terms and adding similar terms of the variable n: 18-0.20n=8.40 Isolating n: 18-0.20n-18=8.40-18 -0.20n=-9.6 (-0.20n)/(-0.20)=(-9.6)/(-0.20) n=48
Replacing n by 48 in the first equation: (1) q=72-n q=72-48 q=24
We have 24 coins of quarters and 48 coins of nickels