Worksheets on Comparing Amounts of Money Year 1 in Grade 3

Master basic money comparison: counting pennies, nickels, dimes, comparing values, and solving simple word problems through these 5 detailed exercises.

Solution: Exercises 1 to 3
1 Comparing penny collections
Exercise 1
Which collection has more money?
Collection A: 5 pennies
Collection B: 3 pennies
Definition:

Money comparison: Finding which amount is greater by counting total value of coins

Comparison method:
  1. Count the number of pennies in each collection
  2. Calculate the total value (each penny = 1 cent)
  3. Compare the totals
Collection A
5¢
Collection B
3¢
Comparison
5¢ > 3¢
Step 1: Count Collection A

Collection A has 5 pennies

Total value = 5 × 1¢ = 5¢

Step 2: Count Collection B

Collection B has 3 pennies

Total value = 3 × 1¢ = 3¢

Step 3: Compare the totals

5¢ > 3¢, so Collection A has more money

Collection A (5¢) has more money than Collection B (3¢)
Final answer:

Collection A has more money because 5¢ > 3¢

Applied rules:

• Coin value: Penny = 1¢

• Counting: Multiply quantity by value of each coin

• Comparison: Compare amounts using >, <, or =

2 Comparing nickels and pennies
Exercise 2
Who has more money?
Sam has 2 nickels.
Lisa has 9 pennies.
Definition:

Comparing different coins: Calculating total value of different types of coins

Sam
10¢
Lisa
9¢
Comparison
10¢ > 9¢
Step 1: Calculate Sam's money

2 nickels = 2 × 5¢ = 10¢

Step 2: Calculate Lisa's money

9 pennies = 9 × 1¢ = 9¢

Step 3: Compare the amounts

10¢ > 9¢, so Sam has more money

Sam has 10¢ and Lisa has 9¢, so Sam has more
Final answer:

Sam has more money because 10¢ > 9¢

Applied rules:

• Coin values: Nickel = 5¢, Penny = 1¢

• Multiplication: Quantity × Value = Total

• Comparison: Compare total amounts

3 Comparing dimes and nickels
Exercise 3
Which collection has more money?
Collection X: 1 dime
Collection Y: 2 nickels
Definition:

Comparing different coin values: Understanding that different coins have different values

Collection X
10¢
Collection Y
10¢
Comparison
10¢ = 10¢
Step 1: Calculate Collection X

1 dime = 1 × 10¢ = 10¢

Step 2: Calculate Collection Y

2 nickels = 2 × 5¢ = 10¢

Step 3: Compare the amounts

10¢ = 10¢, so both collections have the same amount

Both collections have 10¢, so they are equal
Final answer:

Both collections have the same amount of money because 10¢ = 10¢

Applied rules:

• Different coins: Same total value can come from different coins

• Equality: Use = symbol when amounts are equal

• Value calculation: Count coins by type and multiply by value

Basic Money Values and Comparison Rules
1¢ = 1 penny
Basic Money Unit
Coin Values
Penny = 1¢
Nickel = 5¢
More Coin Values
Dime = 10¢
Quarter = 25¢
Comparison Symbols
> (greater than)
< (less than)
Key definitions:

Money: Currency used to buy things

Coin: Small round piece of metal worth a specific amount

Value: How much money something is worth

Basic comparison methodology:
  1. Count coins: Count how many of each type
  2. Calculate value: Multiply quantity by coin value
  3. Add totals: Find total for each group
  4. Compare: Use >, <, or = symbols
Tip 1: Pennies are worth 1 cent each.
Tip 2: Nickels are worth 5 cents each.
Tip 3: Dimes are worth 10 cents each.
Tip 4: The > symbol means "more than".
Basic coin values: Penny (1¢), Nickel (5¢), Dime (10¢), Quarter (25¢).
Comparison symbols: > (greater), < (less), = (equal).
Basic money facts to know:

• 5 pennies = 1 nickel

• 2 nickels = 1 dime

• 10 pennies = 1 dime

• 4 quarters = 1 dollar

• 100 cents = 1 dollar

Solution: Exercises 4 to 5
4 Shopping comparison
Exercise 4
A candy costs 15 cents. If Anna has 2 dimes and Ben has 15 pennies, who has enough money to buy the candy?
Definition:

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

Candy Cost
15¢
Anna
20¢
Ben
15¢
Step 1: Calculate Anna's money

2 dimes = 2 × 10¢ = 20¢

Step 2: Calculate Ben's money

15 pennies = 15 × 1¢ = 15¢

Step 3: Compare with candy cost

Anna: 20¢ > 15¢ (has enough)
Ben: 15¢ = 15¢ (has enough)

Both Anna (20¢) and Ben (15¢) have enough money to buy the 15¢ candy
Final answer:

Both Anna and Ben have enough money to buy the candy

Applied rules:

• Enough money: Amount ≥ cost of item

• Comparison: Use greater than or equal symbols

• Decision: Those with sufficient funds can purchase

5 Word problem with mixed coins
Exercise 5
Maya has 3 nickels and 2 pennies. Jake has 1 dime and 5 pennies. Who has more money?
Definition:

Mixed coin counting: Adding different types of coins together

Maya
17¢
Jake
15¢
Comparison
17¢ > 15¢
Step 1: Calculate Maya's money

3 nickels = 3 × 5¢ = 15¢
2 pennies = 2 × 1¢ = 2¢
Total: 15¢ + 2¢ = 17¢

Step 2: Calculate Jake's money

1 dime = 1 × 10¢ = 10¢
5 pennies = 5 × 1¢ = 5¢
Total: 10¢ + 5¢ = 15¢

Step 3: Compare the amounts

17¢ > 15¢, so Maya has more money

Maya has 17¢ which is more than Jake's 15¢
Final answer:

Maya has more money because 17¢ > 15¢

Applied rules:

• Addition: Add different coin values together

• Multiplication: Count multiple coins of same type

• Comparison: Compare final amounts

Money Comparison Laws, Methods, and Definitions - Year 1
1¢ = 1 penny
Basic Money Unit
Key definitions:

Money: Something used to buy things

Value: How much something is worth

Comparison: Seeing which amount is bigger or smaller

Complete methodology:
  1. Look at coins: See what types of coins you have
  2. Count each type: How many of each kind?
  3. Find total value: Multiply and add to get total
  4. Compare amounts: Use >, <, or = symbols
  5. Check your work: Count again to make sure
Tip 1: Count the same types of coins together first.
Tip 2: Write down each calculation to avoid mistakes.
Tip 3: Use your fingers to count small amounts.
Tip 4: Practice with real coins to learn better.
Common mistakes: Counting wrong, forgetting coin values, mixing up symbols.
Real-world uses: Buying toys, snacks, and treats.
Money comparison rules:

• Count each type of coin separately

• Multiply quantity by coin value

• Add different coins together for total

• Use > (more than), < (less than), = (same as)

• To buy something: money ≥ cost

Money Visualization: Coin Values Year 1
Exercise 6: Basic Coin Values
Basic coins and their values:
Penny: 1 cent (1¢)
Nickel: 5 cents (5¢)
Dime: 10 cents (10¢)

Analysis: The chart shows the value relationships between basic US coins for Year 1.

  • Penny = 1 cent (1¢)
  • Nickel = 5 cents (5¢)
  • Dime = 10 cents (10¢)

Questions & Answers

Question: I'm confused about comparing 10¢ and 10¢. How do I write that?

Answer: When two amounts are exactly the same, we use the equal sign (=).

  • If both amounts are 10¢, then: 10¢ = 10¢
  • This means "10 cents is equal to 10 cents"
  • We also say "they are the same" or "both are equal"

The three comparison symbols are:
> (greater than) - for when one amount is bigger
< (less than) - for when one amount is smaller
= (equal to) - for when both amounts are the same

Example: If you have 5¢ and your friend has 5¢, then 5¢ = 5¢

Question: How do I remember that a nickel is worth 5¢ and a dime is worth 10¢?

Answer: Here are memory tricks for each coin:

  • Penny (1¢): "PENNY = PENNILESS = just 1 cent" - it's the smallest coin
  • Nickel (5¢): "NICKEL = N = the N looks like a 5 turned sideways"
  • Dime (10¢): "DIME = TEN = both words start with 'D'" and a dime is worth 10 cents

Also remember: a nickel is bigger than a penny but smaller than a dime!

Practice: Hold real coins and say their values out loud every day until you memorize them.

Question: Why does 2 nickels equal 1 dime?

Answer: Let's break it down:

  • 1 nickel = 5¢
  • So 2 nickels = 5¢ + 5¢ = 10¢
  • 1 dime = 10¢
  • Therefore: 2 nickels = 1 dime (because both equal 10¢)

This is why we can trade 2 nickels for 1 dime - they have the same value!

Other equal trades:
5 pennies = 1 nickel
10 pennies = 1 dime
2 nickels = 1 dime

These are called "equivalent amounts" - different coins but same value!