Final answer:
There are 29 males and 13 females in the math class. The solution involves setting up algebraic equations to represent the relationships given in the problem and solving for the unknowns.
Step-by-step explanation:
A math class has a total of 42 students, with the number of females being 16 less than the number of males.
To solve for the number of males and females, we'll use algebra. Let's denote the number of males as m and the number of females as f. According to the problem, f = m - 16.
We also know the total number of students is 42, so we can write the equation m + f = 42.
Substituting the first equation into the second equation, we get m + (m - 16) = 42.
Combining like terms gives us 2m - 16 = 42.
Adding 16 to both sides of the equation yields 2m = 58.
Dividing both sides by 2 gives us m = 29.
Since there are 29 males, and the number of females is 16 less than males, we subtract 16 from 29 to get the number of females: f = 29 - 16, so f = 13.
Therefore, there are 29 males and 13 females in the math class.