Final answer:
Rupert has 14 nickels and 7 pennies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The guess and check method involves making educated guesses and checking them to solve a problem. In this problem, Rupert can afford 77 cents worth of candy with nickels and pennies. He has a total of 21 coins in his pocket. We can use guess and check to find the number of nickels and pennies he has.
Let's start by assuming he has all nickels. In this case, the value of all nickels would be 5 * 21 = 105 cents. This is more than the 77 cents he can afford, so we know he must have some pennies as well.
We can now start adjusting the number of nickels and pennies to find the combination that adds up to 77 cents. By trying different combinations, we find that Rupert must have 14 nickels and 7 pennies. Therefore, the answer is option C: 14 nickels and 7 pennies.
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