Games
Problems
Go Pro!

Handshakes

Pro Problems > Math > Algebra > Equations > Systems of Equations > Word Problems
 

Handshakes

Mr. T wants each of his math students to shake hands with each of his other math students exactly once. He also wants each of his math students to shake Mr. H's hand twice. Mr. T shakes Mr. H's hand once. If there were 78 handshakes in all, how many math students does Mr. T have?

Presentation mode
Problem by Mr. Twitchell

Solution

In order to make it feasible for teachers to use these problems in their classwork, no solutions are publicly visible, so students cannot simply look up the answers. If you would like to view the solutions to these problems, you must have a Virtual Classroom subscription.
Assign this problem
Click here to assign this problem to your students.

Similar Problems

Antique Table Price

The price of an antique table varies directly with age of the antique (in years) and with the surface area (in square feet). The price varies inversely with the number of scratches on the surface.  A table which is 120 years old, is 3 feet x 8 feet , and has n scratches on the surface, costs $4,320. A table which is 140 years old, is 4 feet x 8 feet, and has n - 1 scratches on the surface, costs $7,680.  If a table 150 years old, which is 4 feet x 6 feet , costs $10,800, how many scratches are on the surface?

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

The reason the king's horses and the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again is that the king's horses were no help whatsoever. In fact, the king's horses (who are not very handy) accidentally break pieces instead of putting them together.

One king's man can put together two pieces every 5 seconds.

One king's horse can break a piece in two every 2 seconds.

There are twenty more men than horses.

If there had been six fewer men, and horses broke pieces at a rate of one every three seconds, they could have done the job.

If the number of men and the number of horses are both prime numbers, how many men and horses are there?

Six more than Twice the Smaller

The sum of two numbers is six more than twice the smaller number, and if the larger number is multiplied by three, the result is ten less than seven times the smaller number. What is the larger number?

Napkins, Forks, and Plates

Five napkins and two forks weigh as much as two plates. Five plates weigh as much as sixteen napkins and four forks. How many napkins weigh as much as a six plates?

Manny Climbs a Skyscraper

Manny is climbing to the top of skyscraper, starting from the ground floor (Floor #1). There are 12 steps between each floor. When he reaches the landing for the nth floor, the number of floors he has left to climb is equal to a quarter of the number of steps he's already climbed. When he reaches the landing for the kth floor, the number of floors he has left to climb is equal to one sixth the number of steps he's already climbed.

When Manny has climbed halfway to the top of the skyscraper, the number of steps he has climbed is a three digit number, with the digits in descending order from left to right.

If the skyscraper has at least 40 floors, and no more than 110 floors, how many stairs does Manny climb in all?

Sum of Two Fractions

The sum of two numbers is
19
15
. One number is
1
15
more than the other. What are the two numbers?

Math Textbooks for Sale

The cost of a textbook is directly proportional to the number of math problems it contains, and inversely proportional to the number of authors who wrote the book. A textbook which contains 200 problems, and was written by 3 authors costs $5 less than a textbook which contains 150 problems, and was written by 2 authors. What is the cost of a textbook containing 450 problems, and written by 4 authors?

Three Digits by Sums

I am a three digit number. The sum of my first two digits is 15, and the sum of my last two digits is 8. The sum of my first and last digits is 7. What number am I?

X to Y to Z

Y is three more than twice the square of X, and Z is the square of Y, decreased by twice Y. If four times the square of X is multiplied by 2 more than the square of X, and the result is subtracted from Z, what will the final result be?

Chickens and Roosters

My neighbor has both chickens and roosters. He has a total of 31 birds. The number of chickens is ten more than twice the number of roosters. How many chickens does he have?

Bag of Candy, Coffee and Donuts, Pairs of Consecutives, Spiders and ants, Difference and Sum, Henry's Books, A Sum of Sums, Triangle Perimeter, Sum and Difference, Difference System

Blogs on This Site

Reviews and book lists - books we love!
The site administrator fields questions from visitors.
Like us on Facebook to get updates about new resources
Home
Pro Membership
About
Privacy