Dollars and Cents with Bills

When we count money, we often have a mix of paper bills and metal coins. Let's learn how to count them together and write the total amount correctly!

Writing Money

To write money amounts, we use two special symbols:

• Dollar Sign ($$$): Goes at the very front of the number.
• Decimal Point ($.$): A little dot that separates the dollars from the cents.

For example, if you have 3 dollars and 45 cents, you write it as \3.45$.

• The number before the dot tells you how many dollars you have ($3$).
• The number after the dot tells you how many cents you have ($45$).

Counting Mixed Bills and Coins

When counting a pile of mixed money, always start by counting the biggest values (the bills) first, and then count the coins.

Example: What is the total of one \10$bill, one$$5$bill, and$3$ quarters?

1. Count the dollars (bills): \10 + $5 = $15$
2. Count the cents (coins): We know $1$ quarter is $25$ cents. So, $3$ quarters is $25 + 25 + 25 = 75$ cents.
3. Put it together: Write the dollar sign, the dollars, a decimal point, and then the cents. The total is \15.75$.

Adding Money Amounts

When adding two different money amounts together, it is just like regular addition. You add the dollars to the dollars, and the cents to the cents.

Example: How much is \5.00 + $2.35$?

• Add the dollars: $5 + 2 = 7$
• Add the cents: $00 + 35 = 35$
• Total: \7.35$