Coins and Bills
Look inside a piggy bank and you might find five different kinds of money: a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter, and maybe even a dollar bill. Each one is worth a different amount -- and here's a strange trick: some smaller coins are worth MORE than bigger ones!
What You'll Learn
- The name and value of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter - How a dollar bill compares to a handful of coins - Why people sometimes choose to save money instead of spending it right away - Why losing a dollar can feel worse than finding one feels good
Meet the Coins
A penny is worth 1 cent and is copper-colored. A nickel is worth 5 cents. A dime is worth 10 cents -- and it is the smallest coin of all, even smaller than the penny! A quarter is worth 25 cents and is the biggest of these four coins.
The dime is the smallest coin in the United States, but it's worth more than the bigger penny and the bigger nickel. Size does not always tell you value -- always check the number or the name on the coin!
Dollar Bills
A dollar bill is worth 100 cents. That means it takes 100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes, or 4 quarters to equal just one dollar bill. Paper bills are handy for larger amounts so you don't have to carry a huge pile of coins.
Match each kind of money to its value.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Choosing What To Do With Money
Imagine you have 4 quarters. You could spend them right now on a small piece of candy, or you could save them in a piggy bank toward a $5 toy you really want later. Saving means waiting, but it can help you get something bigger. Most people also notice that losing a coin feels more disappointing than finding one feels exciting, even though it's the same amount of money either way! That's just how our brains react to gains and losses.
Which of these coins is the smallest in size, even though it's worth more than a penny or nickel?
How many quarters does it take to equal one dollar bill?
Count Your Coins to a Dollar
Gather real coins or draw pictures of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Add them up in different combinations until you reach exactly $1.00. Write down at least two different combinations of coins that both equal one dollar.
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