Charlie had 3 coins and Jack had 17 coins. Their coins consisted of ten-cent coins and twenty-cent coins. When all their twenty-cent coins were exchanged for ten-cent coins, they had a total of 23 coins. How many ten-cent coins did they have at first?
| |
Ten-cent coins |
Twenty-cent coins |
Total |
| Before |
23 - 2 u |
1 u |
20 |
| Change |
+ 2 u |
- 1 u |
+ 1 u |
| After |
23 |
0 |
23 |
Number of coins at first
= 3 + 17
= 20
1 twenty-cent coin can be exchanged for 2 ten-cent coins.
Increase in the number of coins after all the twenty-cent coins were exchanged for ten-cent coins
= 2 u - 1 u
= 1 u
1 u = 23 - 20 = 3
Number of ten-cent coins at first
= 23 - 2 u
= 23 - 2 x 3
= 23 - 6
= 17
Answer(s): 17
