Worksheets on Comparing Amounts of Money in Grade 3

Master money comparison: counting coins, bills, comparing values, making change, and solving word problems through these 5 detailed exercises.

Solution: Exercises 1 to 3
1 Comparing coin collections
Exercise 1
Which collection has more money?
Collection A: 3 quarters, 2 dimes, 1 nickel
Collection B: 2 quarters, 4 dimes, 3 nickels
Definition:

Money comparison: Finding which amount is greater by calculating total value of coins/bills

Comparison method:
  1. Count each type of coin in both collections
  2. Calculate the value of each coin type
  3. Add up all values in each collection
  4. Compare the totals
Collection A
$1.00
Collection B
$1.05
Comparison
$1.05 > $1.00
Step 1: Calculate Collection A

3 quarters = 3 × $0.25 = $0.75
2 dimes = 2 × $0.10 = $0.20
1 nickel = 1 × $0.05 = $0.05
Total A = $0.75 + $0.20 + $0.05 = $1.00

Step 2: Calculate Collection B

2 quarters = 2 × $0.25 = $0.50
4 dimes = 4 × $0.10 = $0.40
3 nickels = 3 × $0.05 = $0.15
Total B = $0.50 + $0.40 + $0.15 = $1.05

Step 3: Compare the totals

$1.05 > $1.00, so Collection B has more money

Collection B ($1.05) has more money than Collection A ($1.00)
Final answer:

Collection B has more money because $1.05 > $1.00

Applied rules:

• Coin values: Quarter = $0.25, Dime = $0.10, Nickel = $0.05, Penny = $0.01

• Counting: Multiply quantity by value of each coin

• Comparison: Compare decimal amounts

2 Comparing bills and coins
Exercise 2
Who has more money?
Sarah has 1 five-dollar bill and 3 quarters.
Tom has 2 one-dollar bills and 7 dimes.
Definition:

Bills and coins: Combining paper currency with coins to find total amount

Sarah
$5.75
Tom
$2.70
Comparison
$5.75 > $2.70
Step 1: Calculate Sarah's money

1 five-dollar bill = $5.00
3 quarters = 3 × $0.25 = $0.75
Total for Sarah = $5.00 + $0.75 = $5.75

Step 2: Calculate Tom's money

2 one-dollar bills = 2 × $1.00 = $2.00
7 dimes = 7 × $0.10 = $0.70
Total for Tom = $2.00 + $0.70 = $2.70

Step 3: Compare the amounts

$5.75 > $2.70, so Sarah has more money

Sarah has $5.75 and Tom has $2.70, so Sarah has more
Final answer:

Sarah has more money because $5.75 > $2.70

Applied rules:

• Bill values: $1, $5, $10, $20 bills have face value

• Combination: Add bills and coins separately then combine

• Comparison: Compare decimal amounts

3 Comparing savings
Exercise 3
Emma saved $12.45 and Jake saved $12.54. Who saved more money?
Definition:

Decimal comparison: Comparing dollar amounts with cents

Emma
$12.45
Jake
$12.54
Comparison
$12.54 > $12.45
Step 1: Compare whole dollars

Both have $12, so move to cents

Step 2: Compare cents

Emma: 45 cents vs Jake: 54 cents

Step 3: Determine greater amount

54 > 45, so Jake saved more money

Jake saved $12.54 which is more than Emma's $12.45
Final answer:

Jake saved more money because $12.54 > $12.45

Applied rules:

• Decimal comparison: Compare whole numbers first, then decimals

• Place value: Dollars first, then cents

• Greater than: Higher value wins

Money Values and Comparison Rules
$1.00 = 100¢
Money Conversion
Coin Values
Quarter = $0.25
Dime = $0.10
More Coin Values
Nickel = $0.05
Penny = $0.01
Decimal Comparison
Compare dollars first
Then compare cents
Key definitions:

Money: Currency used to buy goods and services

Coins: Small metal pieces worth specific amounts

Bills: Paper money with face values

Comparison methodology:
  1. Identify coins/bills: List all money items
  2. Calculate values: Find total for each group
  3. Convert to same form: All dollars or all cents
  4. Compare amounts: Use >, <, or =
Tip 1: Start with largest coins first when counting.
Tip 2: Write amounts in decimal form ($0.25 for a quarter).
Tip 3: When comparing decimals, look at dollars first.
Tip 4: Always check your addition for accuracy.
Coin values: Penny (1¢), Nickel (5¢), Dime (10¢), Quarter (25¢).
Bill values: $1, $5, $10, $20 bills are commonly used.
Money facts to know:

• 4 quarters = $1.00

• 10 dimes = $1.00

• 20 nickels = $1.00

• 100 pennies = $1.00

• $1.00 = 100¢

Solution: Exercises 4 to 5
4 Shopping comparison
Exercise 4
A toy costs $8.75. If Emma has $9.00 and Jake has $8.50, who has enough money to buy the toy?
Definition:

Enough money: Having equal or more money than the cost of an item

Toy Cost
$8.75
Emma
$9.00
Jake
$8.50
Step 1: Compare Emma's money to cost

$9.00 > $8.75, so Emma has enough

Step 2: Compare Jake's money to cost

$8.50 < $8.75, so Jake doesn't have enough

Step 3: State who can buy the toy

Only Emma has enough money to buy the toy

Emma has enough money ($9.00 > $8.75) but Jake does not ($8.50 < $8.75)
Final answer:

Emma has enough money to buy the toy

Applied rules:

• Enough money: Amount ≥ cost of item

• Comparison: Use greater than or less than symbols

• Decision: Only those with sufficient funds can purchase

5 Word problem with mixed operations
Exercise 5
Maria had $15.00. She spent $6.25 on lunch and $3.75 on snacks. Her friend Alex had $20.00 and spent $10.50 on a game. Who has more money left?
Definition:

Money left: Original amount minus amount spent

Maria Left
$5.00
Alex Left
$9.50
Comparison
$9.50 > $5.00
Step 1: Calculate Maria's remaining money

Original: $15.00
Spent: $6.25 + $3.75 = $10.00
Left: $15.00 - $10.00 = $5.00

Step 2: Calculate Alex's remaining money

Original: $20.00
Spent: $10.50
Left: $20.00 - $10.50 = $9.50

Step 3: Compare remaining amounts

$9.50 > $5.00, so Alex has more money left

Alex has $9.50 left which is more than Maria's $5.00
Final answer:

Alex has more money left because $9.50 > $5.00

Applied rules:

• Subtraction: Original amount minus spending gives remaining

• Multiple operations: Perform addition then subtraction

• Comparison: Compare final amounts

Money Comparison Laws, Methods, and Definitions
$1.00 = 100¢
Money Conversion
Key definitions:

Money: Medium of exchange for goods and services

Value: The worth of coins, bills, or items

Comparison: Determining which amount is greater or lesser

Complete methodology:
  1. Identify money: Count coins and bills separately
  2. Calculate value: Multiply quantity by denomination
  3. Find total: Add all values together
  4. Compare: Use mathematical symbols to compare
  5. Verify: Double-check calculations
Tip 1: Use skip counting for coins: 5, 10, 15 for nickels.
Tip 2: Group coins by type before counting.
Tip 3: When comparing decimals, align decimal points.
Tip 4: Draw circles around each coin to keep track while counting.
Common errors: Miscounting coins, forgetting decimal places, confusing symbols.
Real-world applications: Shopping, saving, budgeting, making change.
Money comparison rules:

• Compare whole dollars first, then cents

• Use > (greater than), < (less than), = (equal to)

• To have enough money: amount ≥ cost of item

• Money left = original amount - amount spent

Money Visualization: Coin Values
Exercise 6: Coin Value Relationships
Different coins and their values:
Penny: 1 cent ($0.01)
Nickel: 5 cents ($0.05)
Dime: 10 cents ($0.10)
Quarter: 25 cents ($0.25)

Analysis: The chart shows the value relationships between different US coins.

  • Penny = 1 cent = $0.01
  • Nickel = 5 cents = $0.05
  • Dime = 10 cents = $0.10
  • Quarter = 25 cents = $0.25

Questions & Answers

Question: I get confused when comparing $0.95 and $1.05. How do I know which is bigger?

Answer: Great question! Here's how to compare $0.95 and $1.05:

  • Look at dollars first: $0.95 has 0 dollars, $1.05 has 1 dollar
  • Compare whole numbers: 0 < 1, so $0.95 < $1.05

Think of it this way: $0.95 is just 95 cents, but $1.05 is over a full dollar!

Another method: Convert to all cents
$0.95 = 95 cents
$1.05 = 105 cents
Since 105 > 95, then $1.05 > $0.95

Tip: When one amount has dollars and the other doesn't, the one with dollars is always larger!

Question: How do I count coins quickly without making mistakes?

Answer: Here are effective strategies for counting coins quickly:

  • Sort first: Group identical coins together (all quarters, all dimes, etc.)
  • Start with largest: Count quarters first, then dimes, nickels, then pennies
  • Use skip counting: Count quarters by 25s (25, 50, 75, 100...)
  • Write as you go: Keep a running total on paper

Example: 3 quarters, 2 dimes, 1 nickel
Quarters: 25, 50, 75 = $0.75
Dimes: +10, +20 = $0.95
Nickel: +5 = $1.00

Tip: Practice with real coins to build muscle memory and confidence!

Question: How can I remember the value of each coin?

Answer: Here are memory tricks for each coin's value:

  • Penny (1¢): "Penny = Penniless = 1 cent" or notice it's the smallest coin
  • Nickel (5¢): "Nickel = N = 5 letters in 'nickel'" or it's worth 5 cents
  • Dime (10¢): "Dime sounds like 'time' and there are 10 minutes in a quarter-hour"
  • Quarter (25¢): "Quarter = 1/4 of $1.00 = 25 cents"

Visual memory: The dime is the smallest in size but worth more than the penny and nickel!

Practice: Look at actual coins daily and say their values out loud until they're memorized.