Final answer:
To find the number of adult tickets sold for the school play, we can set up a system of equations. By substituting equations and solving, we find that 250 adult tickets were sold.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can set up a system of equations. Let's call the number of adult tickets sold 'A' and the number of student tickets sold 'S'. We know that A + S = 443, since the total number of tickets sold is 443. We also know that S = A - 57, since there were 57 fewer student tickets sold than adult tickets. Substituting this expression for S into the first equation, we get A + (A - 57) = 443. Combining like terms, we have 2A - 57 = 443. Adding 57 to both sides, we get 2A = 500. Finally, dividing both sides by 2, we find that A = 250. Therefore, 250 adult tickets were sold.