At an academic assembly, 12 scholars meet and every scholar shakes hands with every other scholar exactly once. How many total handshakes occur?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. 66 handshakes
- Step 1: Total handshakes = C(12, 2) = (12 11) / 2 = 66 handshakes. Answer: 66 handshakes. Why not the others: 132 is 12 11, double-counting reciprocal handshakes.
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