Question

Paul owes PAula $.35 and has a pocket full of five cents $.10 coins and $.25 coins that he can use to pay her what is the difference between the largest in the smallest number of coins he can use to pay her

Answer 1

In an ideal number of case, he would use just one coin: a 35 cents coin; but he can't. So he has to use 2 coins: 10 and 25 cents coin.

if he wants to give her a lot of coins, he would use the smallest coins: the 5 cent coins and 7 of those. and the difference between 2 and 7 is 5!