SOLUTION: I am currently working on my masters in education and have a math class (which is not MY subject) and my sponsor is not available. I hope you can help me solve this problem. This

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Question 510225: I am currently working on my masters in education and have a math class (which is not MY subject) and my sponsor is not available. I hope you can help me solve this problem. This is the only math we have to do for this class, we usually do procedures and rules and lesson planning. I have no idea where to start to solve this. Thanks for the help! Wendy
QUESTION: There are 10 seats in a row at the counter inside a cafe. Two people enter the café when it opens. How many different ways can these two customers sit at the counter so that they are not next to each other?
Answer by scott8148(6628) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the first person can choose any of 10 seats, this leaves a choice of 9 seats for the other person
___ for a total of 90 possible seating arrangements (9 * 10)

the 10 seats contain 9 adjacent pairs
___ each of those pairs can be occupied in 2 ways (who's on the left and who's on the right)
___ this means 18 seating arrangements are not allowed (9 * 2)

so there are 72 ways for the people to sit (90 - 18)