April 2024
Problem of the Month
Six Coins, Three Ways
by J. Mark Thompson in GAMES
Millicent likes to pay for anything under a couple of dollars with exact change from her coin purse, where she keeps an ample supply of
pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. She always uses the smallest number of coins necessary.
One day at a farmer's market she saw a tray of nectarines for sale, at quite a good price for each one, and decided to get one. She picked out
six coins to pay for it.
But before she could do so she saw another that looked so perfectly ripe, she decided to take it home, too. She returned her six coins back in the purse and
picked out enough to pay for two nectarines, which again was exactly six coins.
Then before she paid for the two nectarines, she saw a third one she liked and decided to get all three. Once again, she picked out exactly six coins,
and this time gave them to the vendor.
How much did each nectarine cost?