Concept 5 of 7
Indian Money: Rupees & Paise
Today's big idea
Sort the coins and notes by value, multiply each group, then add the group totals.
Rupees come in fixed values, and ₹1 splits into 100 paise.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
Tip a purse onto the table and you get a jumble of coins and notes. In India these are rupees, written ₹, and one rupee splits into 100 paise. Counting the pile one piece at a time is slow, and it is easy to lose your place.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the money above. Coins come in ₹1, ₹2, ₹5 and ₹10. Notes start at ₹10 and climb to ₹500. Underneath sits the working: 2 notes of ₹50 and 3 coins of ₹10 give 100 + 30, which is ₹130. Sort, multiply, add.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Sort the pile into groups of one value, the way the money above is grouped.
- 2.Multiply each group by how many notes or coins it holds.
- 3.Add the group totals, and write ₹ in front of the answer.
✍️ Try it
You have 3 coins of ₹5 and 2 coins of ₹10. How much is that? Now a harder one. You have 2 notes of ₹20, 1 coin of ₹5 and 4 coins of 50 paise. How much is that?
First purse: 3 × 5 = 15 and 2 × 10 = 20, so the total is ₹35. Second purse: 2 × 20 = 40 and 1 × 5 = 5. The four 50 paise coins make 200 paise, and that is ₹2. Total = 40 + 5 + 2 = ₹47.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking 50 paise beats ₹5, because 50 is the bigger number. It does not. ₹1 = 100 paise, so 50 paise is only half a rupee, and ₹5 is ten times that.
🌟 Why this matters
Pocket money, a shop counter and a bus fare all run on this. Sorting first is how a shopkeeper counts a till in seconds. Count a jumbled pile piece by piece and you lose your place, then start again. Group by value and the sum almost does itself.
Exam tip: A money question mixes notes and coins on purpose, so sort them before you add anything.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Find the total: 2 notes of ₹100, 3 coins of ₹10, and 4 coins of ₹5.”
- 1
Sort and multiply
2 × 100 = ₹200. 3 × 10 = ₹30. 4 × 5 = ₹20. 💰
- 2
Stack the groups
200 + 30 + 20.
- 3
Add them up
200 + 30 + 20 = 250
- 4
Total ✓
Total money = ₹250
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Tap notes and coins to make exactly ₹85.
MAKE THE AMOUNT · ROUND 1 OF 3
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
Ravi has 4 coins of ₹2 and 3 notes of ₹20. How much money does he have?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Money from a Picture
Group the notes and coins, then add. Change = paid − price.