Combinations and Permutations DAY 1

Count how many ways an event can occur

NOTES Counting Prinicples

The fundamental counting principle can be used to determine the number of possible
outcomes when there are two or more characteristics.

Fundamental Counting Principle

If an event has m possible outcome and another independent

event has n possible outcomes, then there are m·n possible
outcomes for the two events to occur together.

EXAMPLE ONE Using the fundamental counting principle

a) In how many ways can you roll an even number of a six-sided dice and draw a
heart from a deck of cards?

b) For Christmas you want to get your parents a framed family picture. At the framing
store, there are 4 different styles each available in 5 different colors. You decide to use
a blue mat board and there are 3 different shades of blue to choose from. How many
different frames can you create?
 How Many Ways?
1) How many ways can you arrange the letters A and B?

2) How many different ways can you arrange the letters A, B, C, and D?

3) How many ways can you choose two colors from red, yellow, blue, and purple?

4) Make how many 4-letter arrangements of the name below are possible?

How many groups of letters could be created from just 2 of the letters?
 Side note: The factorial symbol
Permutation: (Picky about order)
The ordering of n objects

Permutation of n Objects taken r at a time:

The number of permutations of r objects taken from a
group of n distinct objects is denoted

EXAMPLE TWO There are eight teams competing in a bobsleigh skeleton race.
A) How many different ways can each team finish?

B) How many ways can teams be awarded the gold, silver, and bronze
metals?

EXAMPLE THREE You are burning a CD demo for your band. Your band has 12 songs stored
on your computer, but room enough on the demo for only 4 songs. How many different
orders can you burn the 4 songs onto the demo?
 How is this different from Permutations?
Combination: (don’t Care about order)
The combination on n objects taken r at a time is
denoted How is the formula different?

Example Four There are eight teams competing in the bobsleigh skeleton race. Only 6
teams make it to the next round.
A) How many different COMBINATIONS of teams can make it to the next
round?

B) How many ways can the top three be chosen?

EXAMPLE FIVE You are burning a CD demo for your band. Your band has 12 songs stored
on your computer, but room enough on the demo for only 4 songs. How many different
combinations of songs can you put on the demo?
 COMBINATION AND PERMUTATION PRACTICE

DIRECTIONS:

 Indicate whether this problem is an example of permutations or combinations.

 Justify this answer.
 Solve the problem.

2. In a race in which six automobiles are entered and there are no ties, in how many ways
can the first three finishers come in?

3. A book club offers a choice of 8 books from a list of 40. In how many ways can a
member make a selection?

4. A medical researcher needs 6 people to test the effectiveness of an experimental drug. If

13 people have volunteered for the test, in how many ways can 6 people be selected?

5. From a club of 20 people, in how many ways can a group of three members be selected
to attend a conference?

6. How many different four-letter passwords can be formed from the letters A, B, C, D, E, F,
and G if no repetition of letters is allowed?
DIRECTIONS: Solve each of the following applications. Show the formula used.

7. An election ballot asks voters to select three city commissioners from a group of six
candidates. In how many ways can this be done?

8. A four-person committee is to be elected from an organizations’ membership of 11

people. How many different committees are possible?

9. Of 12 possible books, you plan to take 4 with you on vacation. How many different
collections of 4 books can you take?

10. Of the 100 people in the U.S. Senate, 18 serve on the Foreign Relations Committee. How
many ways are there to select Senate members for this committee (assuming party
affiliation is not a factor in selection)?

11. A mathematics exam consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and 5 open-ended

problems in which all work must be shown. If an examinee must answer 8 of the
multiple-choice questions and 3 of the open-ended problems, in how many ways can the
questions and problems be chosen?

12. How many different six-letter arrangements can be made from the letters in the word
HOCKEY.

13. Write a word problem that can be solved by evaluating 21C3. Now solve it!
 Name: ___________________________
Date: ______________ Block: ________

Compute the following with a calculator

1. 5P3 5. 4C1

2. 4P1 6. 4C4

3. 6P6 7. 6!

4. 5C3 8. 5!

License Plate Configurations: Determine how many possible ways the a license plate can be
made meeting the requirements if letter and digits CANNOT be repeated.

9. 4 letters, and 3 digits

10. 3 letters, and 4 digits

11. 7 digits

Use either permutations or combinations to answer the following questions.

12. The Spanish Club is electing a president, vice president, and secretary from the 8 eligible
members. How many different ways can the three offices be filled?
13. Five representatives from the class of 32 students are being chosen to a committee.
How many different ways can those 5 students be chosen?

14. The school newspaper has an editor in chief and an assistant editor. The staff of the
newspaper has 12 students. How many ways can students be elected to the two
positions?

15. In a race, the top five finishers are awarded points for their team. There are 12 people
running in a particular race. In how many ways can the people finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and
5th?

16. In a race, the top five finishers are awarded points for their team. There are 12 people
running in a particular race. In how many ways can the people finish in the top 5?

Describe the difference between permutation and

combination.