Seven runners are competing in a race where 3 of them will earn medals for finishing first, second, and third. How many unique ways are there to arrange 3 of the 7 runners in first, second, and third place?
Q. Seven runners are competing in a race where 3 of them will earn medals for finishing first, second, and third. How many unique ways are there to arrange 3 of the 7 runners in first, second, and third place?
Calculate Factorial of 7: We need to calculate the number of permutations of 7 runners taken 3 at a time, since the order in which they finish is important.The formula for permutations of n items taken r at a time is P(n,r)=(n−r)!n!.Here, n=7 (total runners) and r=3 (positions to fill).
Calculate Factorial of (7−3): First, we calculate the factorial of n, which is 7! (7 factorial).7!=7×6×5×4×3×2×1=5040.
Use Permutation Formula: Next, we calculate the factorial of (n−r), which is (7−3)! or 4! (4 factorial).4!=4×3×2×1=24.
Perform Division: Now, we use the permutation formula to find P(7,3).P(7,3)=(7−3)!7!=245040.
Perform Division: Now, we use the permutation formula to find P(7,3).P(7,3)=(7−3)!7!=245040.We perform the division to find the number of unique ways.P(7,3)=245040=210.
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