document.write( "Question 1160588: A purse contains $3.45 in quarters, dimes, and nickels. It contains three fewer than three-fourths as many dimes as nickels, and two fewer quarters than dimes. How many nickels are in the purse? \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I can not determine my first equation.
\n" ); document.write( "This is what I have
\n" ); document.write( "Nickels: x
\n" ); document.write( "Dimes: 3/4x-3
\n" ); document.write( "Quarters: (3/4x-3)-2\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Do I have any of this correct and could you help me solve please
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #783912 by solver91311(24713)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You are on the right track but have a little farther to go. Your three expressions are representative of the number of nickels, dimes, and quarters and are properly formed according to the parameters in the question. However, the question does not provide information on the total number of coins. It does provide the total value of the coins, so what you need to do is convert the expressions for numbers of coins to the values of the coins. When I do one of these, I generally convert values given in dollars and cents to just cents so that I eliminate having to deal with decimal coefficients in my equations.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The value of a nickel is 5 cents, so the value of nickels is cents. Similarly, the value of the dimes is cents and the value of the quarters is cents. And since the total value is $3.45 which is 345 cents, we have:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Expand the parentheticals\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Collect the constant terms in the RHS\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides by 4 to eliminate the fractions.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Collect the variable terms and divide by the resulting coefficient on
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "John
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );