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Question

Leah has 13 coins, all of which are pennies and nickels. If she had one more nickel than she has now, then she would have the same number of pennies and nickels. In cents, how much are Leah's coins worth?

Accepted Answer

She has p pennies and n nickels, where n + p = 13. If she had n+1 nickels then n+1 = p, so 2n+ 1 = 13 and n=6. So she has 6 nickels and 7 pennies, which clearly have a value of 37 cents.