Money: Coins and Dollars
Grade 2 · Math · Study Guide
Learn to identify coins and dollars and count collections of money.
Money is how we pay for things, and it comes in coins and bills. In the United States, we have four common coins: the penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents), and quarter (25 cents). 100 cents is equal to 1 dollar.
Coins have a front (heads) and a back (tails). The penny is the only copper-colored coin. The dime is the smallest coin but worth more than a penny or nickel. The quarter is the largest coin and is worth 25 cents.
When counting a group of coins, start with the biggest value first. For example, if you have a quarter, a dime, and a nickel, start at 25, then add 10 to get 35, then add 5 to get 40 cents. A dollar bill is worth 100 cents. If you have 4 quarters, that is exactly 1 dollar!
| Coin | Color | Value | How many make a dollar? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penny | Copper | 1 cent | 100 |
| Nickel | Silver | 5 cents | 20 |
| Dime | Silver (small) | 10 cents | 10 |
| Quarter | Silver (large) | 25 cents | 4 |
Key terms
- Penny
- A coin worth 1 cent
- Nickel
- A coin worth 5 cents
- Dime
- A coin worth 10 cents
- Quarter
- A coin worth 25 cents
- Dollar
- Equal to 100 cents; the basic paper money unit in the US
- Cent
- The smallest unit of US money; 100 cents = 1 dollar
Flashcards
- Penny
- 1 cent — copper colored
- Nickel
- 5 cents — silver colored, larger than a dime
- Dime
- 10 cents — silver colored, smallest coin
- Quarter
- 25 cents — silver colored, largest common coin
- How many cents in a dollar?
- 100 cents
- How many nickels make a dollar?
- 20 nickels
Practice questions
How many cents is a quarter worth?
- 5
- 10
- 20
- 25
Show answer
Answer: 25
A quarter is worth 25 cents.
A dime is worth more than a nickel.
Show answer
Answer: True
A dime = 10 cents; a nickel = 5 cents. 10 > 5.
100 cents equals 1 ___.
Show answer
Answer: dollar
100 cents = 1 dollar.
You have 2 dimes and 1 nickel. How many cents do you have?
- 15 cents
- 20 cents
- 25 cents
- 30 cents
Show answer
Answer: 25 cents
2 dimes = 20 cents + 1 nickel = 5 cents → 25 cents total.
How many quarters make one dollar?
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Show answer
Answer: 4
4 × 25 cents = 100 cents = 1 dollar.
Fun facts
- Abraham Lincoln is on the penny, and his memorial is also shown on the back!
- A dime is smaller than a penny but worth 10 times more.
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