Making change
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Basics on the topic Making change
Making Change
Sometimes when people are paying for items they do not have the exact amounts of money. When this happens, they pay more than they need to and receive change in return. Let’s learn more about money - making change. Afterwards, you can have a look at our making change with money worksheets.
Making money - change is how many notes or coins you get back when you pay too much. It’s the difference of the money you pay with and how much the item costs.
Making Money - Make Change
There are different ways that you can work out how to make change with money. In this video we used a number line while counting money and making change. We can learn about making change (money) by counting up! When using a number line to subtract money, you can follow these steps:
| Step # | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start by creating an equation. You can subtract the amount of money the item cost from how much money was given to pay for it. |
| 2 | Next, put the larger number on the right side of the number line. |
| 3 | Count backwards in steps. |
| 4 | Finally, the number you land on is the answer, or the change! |
Making Change with Money – Example
Let’s practise making change with the making change problem below.
Let's imagine we are buying a lot of supplies. If we pay one hundred pounds, and the supplies cost eighty-three pounds, how much change will we receive?
Let's start by setting up the equation! We know that we pay using £100 and we also know that the supplies cost £83. So in order to find out the change that remains, we set up a subtraction – 100 - 83. Now, let's solve our subtraction equation by taking steps back on the number line.
If we subtract 80 from 100, we can take steps of 20 on our number line. We need to take 4 of these steps with steps of 20. So, subtracting 80 from 100, we land on 20. What remains is 3. So we need to subtract 3 from 20 to get to our result.
We will receive 17 pounds back in change!
Money Making Change – More Practice
Remember, making change is the difference of how much you pay and how much the item costs. You can use many different tools to solve making change, such as a number line!
When using a number line to make change remember these steps:
| Step # | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start by creating an equation. You can subtract the amount of money the item cost from how much money was given to pay for it. |
| 2 | Next, put the larger number on the right side of the number line. |
| 3 | Count backwards in steps. |
| 4 | Finally, the number you land on is the answer, or the change! |
At the end of this making change video, there are interactive exercises for continued practice of making change through counting money and making change worksheets as well as money word problems making change worksheets.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Change
Transcript Making change
Zuri and Freddie are going on a camping trip, but, need to get some supplies first. While shopping, they might need to make change. "Making Change" Many people often do not have exact amounts of money when paying. When this happens they receive change. Change can refer to coins and notes. Change is how many coins and notes you get back when you pay too much. So, it is the DIFFERENCE of the money you PAY with and the cost of the item. In this video we will use a number line to help us subtract to find the difference. Zuri and Freddie need to buy a tent first.
The tent that they want costs twenty-six pounds. Freddie and Zuri give the shop assistant thirty pounds, how much change will they get back? We can start by subtracting the amount their tent cost from how much money they gave to the shop assistant. The first step is to create an equation for what we need to solve. Freddie and Zuri gave the shop assistant thirty pounds for the tent. The tent's price was twenty-six pounds. So, we'll subtract thirty minus twenty-six to create our equation. Next, we can put the larger number on the RIGHT side and count back the value of the second number. We'll put thirty on the right side and count back twenty-six. Then, we can count backwards by tens twice. After that, we count back by ones six times. Finally, the number that we land on is how much change we will receive. We counted backwards and landed on the number four. Zuri and Freddie will receive four pounds in change. Next they are planning to buy A LOT of marshmallows. They grab forty-five pounds worth of marshmallows. If Zuri and Freddie give the shop assistant sixty pounds, how much change will they receive? First we need to create an equation. How can we set it up? We can set it up as sixty minus forty-five, since Zuri gave sixty pounds and the price is forty-five pounds. Next, we can put the larger number on the RIGHT side and count backwards the value of the second number. We need to count backwards by forty-five. There are different ways to count backwards. To create the least amount of jumps here, we can count backwards FOUR tens and ONE five. If we count backwards four tens and one five, what number will we land on? We land on the number fifteen. Zuri and Freddie will receive fifteen pounds back. They also need to buy skewers to toast the marshmallows! They decide to buy eighty-three pounds worth of skewers! If Zuri and Freddie give the shop assistant one hundred pounds, how much change will they receive back? Remember, start by creating an equation. We can create the equation one hundred minus eighty-three. Next, put the larger number on the RIGHT side of the number line. Then, count backwards the value of the second number. If we count backwards eighty-three, what number will we land on?
We land on the number seventeen. Zuri and Freddie received seventeen pounds back. Now Zuri and Freddie need torches! They decide to get colour changing torches that cost one hundred and twenty-two pounds! If Zuri gives the shop assistant one hundred and fifty pounds, how much will she receive back?
Zuri will get twenty-eight pounds back. Let's summarise. Remember, when making change, start by creating an equation. Next, put the larger number on the RIGHT side of the number line. Then, count backwards the amount of the second number. Finally, the number that we land on is how much change we will receive back. Let's check in with Zuri and Freddie. "Do you have my pillow?" "I thought you packed the pillows..." "We can just use the extra jumbo marshmallows!"
Making change exercise
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What are the steps for making change using a number line?
HintsWhat do you need to create first?
We need to count backwards from the larger number so this needs to be on the number line first.
Solution- Create an equation.
- Put the larger number on the right.
- Count backwards the amount of the second number.
- The final number is the change you receive back.
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Zuri and Freddie buy an umbrella.
HintsStart on the right of the number line and count backwards in steps of ten then one.
What is 80 minus 6 groups of ten or 80 - 60?
80 - 60 = 20.
Now, subtract eight ones or 8 from 20.
Solution- 80 - 60 = 20
- 20 - 8 = 12
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Let's buy beach chairs.
HintsStart on the right of the number line and count backwards, or subtract the numbers on top of the number line.
What is 100 minus 4 groups of twenty or 100 - 80?
100 - 80 = 20
Now, subtract six ones or 6 from 20.
Solution- 100 - 80 = 20
- 20 - 6 = 14
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Time to buy body boards.
HintsStart on the right of the number line and count backwards, or subtract the numbers on top of the number line.
What is 150 minus two groups of fifty or 150 - 100?
150 - 100 = 50
Now, subtract one group of ten from 50.
50 - 10 = 40
Now, subtract six ones, or 6, from 40.
Solution- 150 - 100 = 50
- 50 - 10 = 40
- 40 - 6 = 34
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Make change for beach toys.
HintsStart on the right of the number line and count backwards, or subtract the numbers on top of the number line.
What is 50 minus 4 groups of ten or 50 - 40?
50 - 40 = 10
Now, subtract seven ones or 7 from 10.
Solution- 50 - 40 = 10
- 10 - 7 = 3
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We need a camera!
HintsStart on the right of the number line and count backwards, or subtract the numbers on top of the number line.
First, subtract 100 from 250.
Now, subtract another 100.
We have now subtracted 200 to get to 50.
We still need to subtract 18. We can do this by subtracting 10 then 8.
Solution- 250 - 100 = 150
- 150 - 100 = 50
- 50 - 10 = 40
- 40 - 8 = 32
