What is the largest number of modern US Coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half) that you can have without being able to make exact change for one dollar? In other words, the largest number of coins that don't total 100 cents.
99 (pennies) /edit to add Unless you meant largest $ which would be 3 quarters, 4 dimes and 4 pennies.
OK. I was a high school math teacher for 10 years and I don't get the original question nor do I get the first guess or answer. I must be losing my cents....... (sorry, couldn't resist). But seriously, the question is not clear. Or the answer really is 99 pennies and then that's not much of a question......
Well gosh, that's right. However, I misstated the puzzle. It should have been: What is the largest number of modern US Coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half), whose sum value is greater than one dollar, that you can have without being able to make exact change for one dollar? Even with the bad question, gocamels was right (with his second answer). Oh well...
For instance if you had: 5 coins total 1 quarter .25 1 half dollar .50 3 dimes .30 you would have $1.05, but you would not be able to hand someone exactly one dollar. 3 quarters and 3 dimes would also work, bringing the grand total to 6. I don't know if that is the correct answer, and I am not going to try and figure it out because I hate math..... Interesting question.
I don't think the question is framed exactly right, or maybe I just assumed the first coin that put you over a dollar is where you had to stop adding new coins. In this case... I can come up with quite a few more.... 1 quarter 9 dimes 4 pennies 14 coins all together
That is what I got, but I do not understand "the first coin to put you over" part. Pocket Change, I am very interested to learn how you got 2 more.
You guys are on the right track, you just stopped before the finish line!!! Throw 2 more quarters in the mix - 3 quarters, 9 dimes and 4 pennies. There is no combination of those coins that will give you exactly $1. The question did not set a limit - IN FACT, it said what is the LARGEST number of coins OVER $1 where you can't come up with exactly $1. I'm pretty sure this is it.
