brian has 23 coins in his pocket. All the coins are either dimes or quarters. the total value of the coins is $4.70. how many of each type of coin does brian have?

Question

1. Define two variables to represent the unknowns in the problem and write a system of equations to represent the problem.
2. Solve the system of equations using the method of your choice. Show all work.
3. Describe the meaning of this solution in terms of the original problem.

Thank you!

Answer 1

Juliana,

In a system of equations word problem you want to locate the two totals that they give you. In this case: 23 ( the number of coins) and $4.70 ( the value)

Now build two equations based upon the totals

what gives us 23 coins? dimes added to quarters so d + q = 23

what gives us 4.70 10 cents per dime and 25 cents per quarter so .10d + .25q = 4.70

these are our two equations

Do you understand how to proceed from here?

What methods of solving systems of equations are you familiar with?