A student is selling candy to raise money for his basketball team. he sells the candy for $1.25 each but he spends $20 a day to purchase the candy. If he made $32.50 one day, how many candy bars did he sell
Let's assume the student sold x candy bars.
The amount of money he made from selling x candy bars is given by 1.25x.
He spent $20 to purchase the candy bars.
Therefore, his total profit is 1.25x - $20.
According to the problem, his total profit for one day is $32.50.
So, we have the equation 1.25x - $20 = $32.50.
Adding $20 to both sides of the equation gives 1.25x = $52.50.
Dividing both sides of the equation by 1.25 gives x = 42.
Therefore, the student sold 42 candy bars. Answer: \boxed{42}.