Skip to main content
OlympiadHQ

Browse · MATH

Print

jmc

prealgebra intermediate

Problem

At the end of a game, each of the five members of a basketball team shake hands with each of the five members of the other team, and all of the players shake hands with the two referees. How many handshakes occur?
Solution
If we consider the five members of one team shaking hands with each of the five members of the other team, we can simply count the number of hands the members of one team shake, since this will necessarily count all of the handshakes of the other team. Thus, as each of the five people shakes five hands, this gives handshakes. There are ten basketball players total, and if each shakes hands with two referees, this gives more handshakes. Thus, a total of handshakes occur.
Final answer
45