SOLUTION: Melissa has a collection of nickels and dimes on her dresser that is worth $1.00. If she had double the number of nickels and triple the number of dimes she would have $2.60

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Question 1131944: Melissa has a collection of nickels and dimes on her dresser that is worth $1.00. If she had double the number of nickels and triple the number of dimes she would have $2.60
Found 3 solutions by Alan3354, josgarithmetic, greenestamps:
Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Thx for letting us know.
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Answer by josgarithmetic(39630) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
n nickels
d dimes
system%285n%2B10d=100%2C5%2A2n%2B10%2A3d=260%29

system%28n%2B2d=20%2Cn%2B3d=26%29
Just looking at this second equation compared to the first equation,
highlight%28d=6%29; and from this, highlight%28n=8%29.


8 nickels
6 dimes

Answer by greenestamps(13216) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


...or, if a formal algebraic solution is not required, solve informally using logical reasoning, instead of with formal algebra. It's good exercise for the brain.

(1) It is given that the number of nickels and the number of dimes has a total value of $1.
(2) So double the number of nickels and double the number of dimes would have a total value of $2.
(3) But we are told that double the number of nickels and TRIPLE the number of dimes would have a value of $2.60. Comparing that to (2), the third group of dimes has a value of $0.60; and that means there are 6 dimes in that third group.

So the number of dimes in her dresser is 6, with a total value of $0.60; then, since the total value of the nickels and dimes is $1, the value of the nickels is $0.40, which means there are 8 nickels.