# help with word problem

#### maggiemo

Joe has 26 coins consisting of quarters and dollar coins. The total value is $17 The problem states that q=quarters. I'm supposed to write an equation ____________________________=17 to find out how many quarters. I tried making a table, but I am confused about value vs number of coins and making a problem to solve it. #### lookagain ##### Senior Member maggiemo said: Joe has 26 coins consisting of quarters and dollar coins. The total value is$17
The problem states that q=quarters. I'm supposed to write an equation ____________________________=17
to find out how many quarters.
I tried making a table, but I am confused about value vs number of coins and making a problem to solve it.
You have:

Let $$\displaystyle q =$$ the number of quarters

Then $$\displaystyle 26 - q =$$ the number of dollar coins

A value of a quarter is worth $$\displaystyle 0.25$$ times the value of a dollar coin.

In this equation, we are leaving out the units of money in order not to clutter the equation as much.

You multiply the value of a coin by the number of each coin, respectively. Then you add those products

and set the sum equal to $$\displaystyle 17 \ (dollars).$$

The following equation includes representatiions of the total value of the quarters added
to the total value of the dollar coins to equal 17 dollars in total value.

$$\displaystyle 0.25q + 1(26 - q) = 17$$

Solve this equation for $$\displaystyle q$$ to find out the number of quarters.