Questions: Latanya finds some nickels and pennies under the couch cushions. How many coins does she have if she has 90 nickels and 150 pennies? How many coins does she have if she has n nickels and p pennies?

Latanya finds some nickels and pennies under the couch cushions. How many coins does she have if she has 90 nickels and 150 pennies? How many coins does she have if she has n nickels and p pennies?

Transcript text: Latanya finds some nickels and pennies under the couch cushions. How many coins does she have if she has 90 nickels and 150 pennies? How many coins does she have if she has $n$ nickels and $p$ pennies?

Solution

Solution Steps

To find the total number of coins, we simply need to add the number of nickels and the number of pennies together. This approach applies to both the specific case with 90 nickels and 150 pennies, and the general case with $ n $ nickels and $ p $ pennies.

Step 1: Calculate Total Coins for Specific Case

To find the total number of coins when Latanya has 90 nickels and 150 pennies, we add the number of nickels and pennies together. The calculation is as follows:

\[ \text{Total coins} = 90 + 150 = 240 \]

Step 2: Calculate Total Coins for General Case

For a general case where Latanya has $ n $ nickels and $ p $ pennies, the total number of coins is given by the sum of $ n $ and $ p $:

\[ \text{Total coins} = n + p \]