Answer:
30 Nickels and 188 Pennies
Explanation:
okay, so to set up the equation first, we have to assign each coin a variable, let's call them p and n:
P= number of pennies
N= number of nickels
the value of a penny is 1 cent, so 1P, and the value of a nickel is 5 cents, so 5N
The problem states that he has 218 coins, meaning that the total number of pennies and nickels adds up to 218:
P + N = 218
the total value of the coins is $3.38, so that would mean that 1P + 5N has to equal $3.38:
1P + 5N = 338
Okay, so now that we have our equations let's solve them using elimination:
we have to get a common coefficient between both equations, so let's multiply our first equation by 5:
P x 5 = 5P
N x 5 = 5N
218 x 5 = 1090
so, now we can solve by elimination:
5P + 5N = 1090
1P + 5N = 338
the N's cancel out:
4P = 752
divide both sides by 4:
P = 188
okay, so if theres a total of 218 coins, subtract 188 from 218:
218 - 188 = 30
so, there are 30 nickels and 188 pennies.
check our work:
5 x 30 = 150
1 × 188 = 188
150 + 188 = 338
338 = 338
I hope this helps! :)