How many pennies in 24 pounds?

Answer 1

Unfortunately it's not that simple. It depends on the dates on the coins:

> 1864 to 1942, and 1944 to mid-1982: 3.11 gm each

> 1943: 2.7 gm

> mid-1982 to present: 2.5 gm.

So you'd have to separate them by date. The '82s are especially difficult because the weight was changed in mid-year; you'd be better off not even trying to include them.

If this is a real-world problem, you'll have to check all of the remaining coins for their dates. If it's a school science or algebra exercise, it's safest to assume that most cents in current use were made after 1982 - go with a weight of 2.5 gm each.

Since 1 lb = 453.6 grams, let's do the math. All we have to do is divide 453.6 by 2.5 (453.6/2.5 = 101.44 pennies) to get the number of pennies per pound. Then multiply that number by 24 (101.44 x 24 = 2,434.6). So, approximately 2,434 and a half pennies equal 24 pounds.