SOLUTION: Please help me with some word problems. I have tried for several hours and cant figure out where to begin. Sarah has three times as many dimes as nickels and twice as many quar

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Question 153480: Please help me with some word problems. I have tried for several hours and cant figure out where to begin.
Sarah has three times as many dimes as nickels and twice as many quarters as dimes. In all, she has $5.55. How many of each coin does she have?

Thank you.
Answer by Fombitz(32388) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First, name your variables.
Q for quarters, D for dimes, N for nickels.
If she has N nickels, she has 3N dimes (three times as many).
If she has N nickels, she has 2N quarters (twice as many).
1.D=3N
2.Q=2D=2%283N%29=6N
Each nickel is worth $0.05, each dime $0.10, and each quarter $0.25.
The total value is $5.55.
0.05N%2B0.10D%2B0.25Q=5.55
Let's multiply both sides by 100 to get rid of decimals.
2.5N%2B10D%2B25Q=555
Substitute eq. 1 and eq. 2 into eq. 3 and solve for N.
2.5N%2B10D%2B25Q=555
5N%2B10%283N%29%2B25%286N%29=555
5N%2B30N%2B150N=555
185N=555
N=+highlight%283%29
From above,
1.D=3N=3%283%29=highlight%289%29
2.Q=6N=6%283%29=highlight%2818%29
Check your answer
3%280.05%29%2B9%280.10%29%2B18%280.25%29=5.55
0.15%2B0.90%2B4.50=5.55
5.55=5.55
True, good answer.