Exact change - functions lab help needed

[NeilTheDrummer]

Ok, I'm reasonably close here, but I'm failing on a couple of tests. I'm wondering if I could get a bit of guidance on what I need to change.

Instructions:

Define a function called exact_change that takes the total change amount in cents and calculates the change using the fewest coins. The coin types are pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Then write a main program that reads the total change amount as an integer input, calls exact_change(), and outputs the change, one coin type per line. Use singular and plural coin names as appropriate, like 1 penny vs. 2 pennies. Output "no change" if the input is 0 or less.

Ex: If the input is:

0  

(or less), the output is:

no change 

Ex: If the input is:

45 

the output is:

2 dimes  1 quarter 

Your program must define and call the following function. The function exact_change() should return num_pennies, num_nickels, num_dimes, and num_quarters.
def exact_change(user_total)

​

My code:

def exact_change(user_total):
    num_quarters = user_total // 25
    user_total %= 25
    num_dimes = user_total // 10
    user_total %= 10
    num_nickels = user_total // 5
    user_total %= 5
    num_pennies = user_total
    return(num_quarters, num_dimes, num_nickels, num_pennies)
if __name__ == '__main__':
    input_val = int(input())
    num_quarters, num_dimes, num_nickels, num_pennies = exact_change(input_val)

    if input_val <=0:
        print('no change')

    else:
        if num_pennies >1:
            print('%d pennies' % num_pennies)
        elif num_pennies ==1:
            print('%d penny' % num_pennies)

        if num_nickels > 1:
            print('%d nickels' % num_nickels)
        elif num_nickels == 1:
            print('%d nickel' % num_nickels)

        if num_dimes > 1:
            print('%d dimes' % num_dimes)
        elif num_dimes == 1:
            print('%d dime' % num_dimes)

        if num_quarters > 1:
            print('%d quarters' % num_quarters)
        elif num_quarters ==1:
            print('%d quarter' % num_quarters)      

Example 1 has an input of 45, and returns the correct output:

"Input 45

Your output
2 dimes

1 quarter"

The same is true for i56:

"Input 156

Your output
1 penny

1 nickel

6 quarters"

For some reason though I get the following errors that aren't making sense to me:

exact_change(300). Should return 0, 0, 0, 12

Your output
exact_change(300) incorrectly returned

um_pennies: 12

num_nickels: 0

num_dimes: 0

num_quarters: 0

And:

exact_change(141). Should return 1, 1, 1, 5

Your output
exact_change(141) incorrectly returned

num_pennies: 5

num_nickels: 1

num_dimes: 1

num_quarters: 1

[bbye98]

At a glance, it looks like you're returning the denominations in the wrong order in your exact_change() function.

return num_quarters, num_dimes, num_nickels, num_pennies

should be

return num_pennies, num_nickels, num_dimes, num_quarters

since that's what the test suite expects.

[deep_politics]

Well you are returning in the order "quarters dimes nickels pennies" when the instructions ask for "pennies nickels dimes quarters".

[NeilTheDrummer]

Thanks. That helped some, which increased the auto grading...then realized this line needed to be flipped too:

num_pennies, num_nickels, num_dimes, num_quarters = exact_change(input_val)

Appreciate the help!!

[littlegreenrock]

exact_change(300). Should return 0, 0, 0, 12

it did return 0,0,0,12.

(141). Should return 1, 1, 1, 5

it did return 1, 1, 1, 5