Note: Consider we need to find each type of coins he has.
Given:
Erin has quarters and nickels for a total of 16 coins.
The value of his coins is $2.60.
To find:
The number of each type of coins.
Solution:
Let x represent the number of quarters and y represent the number of nickels.
According to the question,
Total coins :
...(i)
Total value :
...(ii)
Multiply equation (i) by 0.25 and subtract the result from (ii).
![0.25x+0.05y-0.25(x+y)=2.60-0.25(16)](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/t2i16ba6f8517xf0aq0gk4gb0yhxz4f2z9.png)
![0.25x+0.05y-0.25x-0.25y=2.60-4](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/75oi2420ptpr0ilnz47lwx8gac0tq51wpm.png)
![-0.20y=-1.40](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/4ssg9y9rdc3gx02xrcfg9r8u0u29mrha0o.png)
Divide both sides by -0.20.
![y=7](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/56oz84dpi2imoesy93dms9iljhs7ozzpws.png)
Put y=7 in (i).
![x+7=16](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/wqnktpnktu7zw43eqf9i8do7gmcwsku62m.png)
![x=16-7](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/d66we9jcicv5zkoqvya9ds5rw1qxnnzrme.png)
![x=9](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/middle-school/q77jblsm8n3ck1b6c3jt9z2pfjukh5bxl9.png)
Therefore, the number of quarters is 9 and number of nickels is 7.