Question 930741

A collection of 15 coins is worth $1.00.  If the coins are dimes and nickels, how many of each coin are there? 

I have only been taught to do it when you are told that one of the coins has more than the other. Not sure how to set this up
<pre><font face = "Tohoma" size = 4 color = "indigo"><b><u>Method 1: Solving for 2 unknowns</u>
Let number of dimes and number of nickels, be D and N, respectively. Then we have:
   D +     N = 15 --------- Denomination-number equation
.1D + .05N =  1 --------- Denomination-value equation
Solve for D or N and substitute solved variable into either equation to determine value of other variable

<u>Method 2: Solving for 1 unknown</u>
Let number of dimes, be D
Then number of nickels = 15 - D. We now have:
.1D + .05(15 - D) = 1 -------- Value equation
Solve for D, and then SUBTRACT that value from 15 (total number of coins) to determine number of nickels

Then do a check!! 
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