How many nickels and dimes does it take to make $1.95

19 dimes + 1 nickel


or 37 nickels + 1 dime

or many other combinations

To figure out how many nickels and dimes it takes to make $1.95, we can use a combination of algebra and trial-and-error. Let's assign variables to represent the number of nickels and dimes.

Let's say the number of nickels is represented by "n" and the number of dimes by "d."

We know that the value of a nickel is $0.05 and the value of a dime is $0.10.

Now, we can set up an equation to represent the total value in dollars:

0.05n + 0.10d = 1.95

However, this equation alone is not sufficient to determine the values of "n" and "d" because there are multiple possible combinations. We need more information.

One approach is to use trial-and-error. We can start by assuming a value for "n" and then solve for "d" using the equation. If "d" turns out to be a whole number, that means we have a valid combination. If not, we try a different value for "n" and repeat the process until we find a combination that works.

For instance, let's assume "n" = 0. We can substitute this into the equation and solve for "d":

0.05(0) + 0.10d = 1.95
0 + 0.10d = 1.95
0.10d = 1.95
d = 1.95 / 0.10
d ≈ 19.5

Since "d" is not a whole number, we can try a different value for "n." Let's assume "n" = 1 and repeat the process:

0.05(1) + 0.10d = 1.95
0.05 + 0.10d = 1.95
0.10d = 1.95 - 0.05
0.10d = 1.90
d = 1.90 / 0.10
d = 19

Now, "d" is a whole number, so we have found a valid combination. Therefore, it takes 1 nickel and 19 dimes to make $1.95.