Third Quarter Worksheet in Mathematics 10
Permutations, Combinations and Fundamental Principle of Counting
Name:_______________________________________________ Grade 10 - _______
Permutation Combination
1) How many unique 3 digit codes can be 1) In how many ways can Max select 3 toppings
created from the 5 digits {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} if from 10 available toppings for his pizza?
repeats are possible? Answer:
Answer:
2) In how many ways can coach Johnson select 5
2) In how many ways can I create 2 letter young women for the basketball team if 15 players
words from the letters in the word DAVE? try out?
Any 2 letters form a 2 letter word. Answer:
Answer:
3) Malcolm has to choose 5 numbers for his 3) How many different committees of 5 people can
password (from digits 0 to 9) and repeat be chosen from 10 people?
digits are not possible. How many different Answer:
arrangements of numbers could Malcolm
choose?
Answer:
4) Jones is the Chairman of a committee. In how
many ways can a committee of 5 be chosen from 10
people given that Jones must be one of them?
4) 10 students have appeared for a test in Answer:
which the top three will get a prize. How
many possible ways are there to get the prize
winners?
Answer:
5) You just bought 3 tickets to the Yankees and you
have 5 friends you could invite.
5) How many unique passwords can be How many different combinations of friends could
made from 4 letters if repeat letters are you choose to join you at the game?
possible? Answer:
Answer:
Third Quarter Worksheet in Mathematics 10
Permutations, Combinations and Fundamental Principle of Counting
Name:_______________________________________________ Grade 10 - _______
KEY CONCEPTS: Directions: Use the Fundamental Counting
This lesson expands on the idea of permutations or Principle to answer the following problems.
ordered arrangements and introduces combinations 1) You go to the local café for lunch and have a
where the objects are not ordered. It also builds upon choice of 3 drinks, 3 sandwiches, 2 sides, and 4
the previous lesson to include choosing a subset of r desserts. If you get one of each category, how many
objects from n objects available. different lunches could be made?
Answer:
1. Permutations
Permutation is a fancy word for ordered. In the
previous lesson students learned n unlike objects can
be ordered in n! ways. e.g. 2) You toss a nickel 5 times. How many different
n! outcomes are there?
P ( n , r )=
( n−r ) ! Answer:
2. Combinations
Combinations are similar to permutations except
order of the selected items does not matter. 3) How many outfits are possible with a choice of 6
n! shirts, 5 pairs of pants, and 4 pairs of shoes?
C (n , r )= Answer:
( n−r ) ! r !
How do I know if order matters or not?
The key question every student should ask 4) You are having dessert. You have a choice
themselves in each permutation/combination between chocolate cake, vanilla cake, apple pie, peach
problem is whether order of the selected items pie, and cherry pie to eat. To drink you have a choice
matters? Unfortunately, this requires some reasoning between juice, milk, and coffee. How many
to determine based on the conditions of the problem, combinations of one drink and one dessert are
but experience will help substantially and a few possible?
examples are shown below to highlight the Answer:
differences.
Examples of permutation where order of selected
items matters: 5) You are ordering a pizza, and want one type of
1. Choosing digits for a unique ID or number. 325 is meat and one type of vegetable on it. How many
a different number or ID than 523 even though the different types of pizza are possible if there are 6
digits chosen are the same. choices for meat and 10 choices for vegetables?
Answer:
2. Lining objects up or awarding medals for the first
few positions. 1st position is different than 2nd
position and so on.
Permutations
1) How many unique 3 digit codes can be created from the 5 digits {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} if
repeats are possible?
5 choices × 5 choices × 5 choices = 53 possible 3 digit codes including repeats
2) In how many ways can I create 2 letter words from the letters in the word DAVE?
Any 2 letters form a 2 letter word.
Choose two letters from four = P(4,2) = 4!/2! = 4 choices × 3 choices = 12. Order matters
i.e. DA is a different word than AD.
3) Malcolm has to choose 5 numbers for his password (from digits 0 to 9) and repeat
digits are not possible. How many different arrangements of numbers could Malcolm
choose?
P(10,5) = 10!/5! = 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 × 6
4) 10 students have appeared for a test in which the top three will get unique prizes.
How many possible ways are there to get the prize winners?
P(10,3) = 10!/7! = 10 × 9 × 8
5) How many unique 3 letter passwords can be made from 4 letters if repeat letters
are possible?
4 × 4 × 4 = 43
6) How many permutations of 3 vowels can be made from the vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
without any repeat letters?
P(5,3) = 5!/2! = 5 × 4 × 3
7) How many unique passwords can be made from 2 letters and 3 digits (0 to 9) if
repeats are possible?
Event (Choose 2 letters) Event (Choose 3 digits)
26 × 26 = 262 arrangements of letters 10 × 10 × 10 = 103 arrangements of digits
Combinations
1) In how many ways can Max select 3 toppings from 10 available toppings for his
pizza? The order of choosing toppings does not matter so it is a combination not
permutation solution.
C(10,3) = 10!/7!3! = (10 × 9 × 8)/(3 × 2 × 1) = 5 × 3 × 8
2) In how many ways can coach Johnson select 5 young women for the basketball
team if 15 players try out? Order does not matter among selected team members.
C(15,5) = 15!/10!5! = (15 × 14 × 13 × 12 × 11)/( 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1) = 7 × 13 × 3 × 11
3) How many different committees of 5 people can be chosen from 10 people?
Order does not matter among selected committee members.
C(10,5) = 10!/5!5! = (10 × 9 × 8 × 7 × 6)/( 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1) = 3 × 2 × 7 × 6
4) Jones is the Chairman of a committee. In how many ways can a committee of 5
be chosen from 10 people given that Jones must be one of them?
If Jones is selected with certainty there is only 1 way to select Jones. Multiply 1 by the
rest which becomes choose 4 out of 9 remaining people where order does not matter.
C(9,4) = 9!/5!4! = (9 × 8 × 7 × 6)/(4 × 3 × 2 × 1) = 3 × 7 × 6
5) You just bought 3 tickets to the Yankees and you have 5 friends you could invite.
How many different combinations of friends could you choose to join you at the game?
This is similar to the problem above. Do not forget you are certain to use 1 ticket so the
question is really asking how many combinations of 2 tickets can be given to 5 different
friends.
C(5,2) = 5!/3!2! = (5 × 4)/( 2 × 1) = 5 × 2
