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Jinglander
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Jinglander
Ok here is a problem from mgmat that I don't agree with the answer. Please advise

Amy and Adam are making boxes of truffles for as wedding favors. They have an unlimited supply of 5 different types of truffles. If each box holds 2 truffles of different types how many different boxes can they make.

The book says it's 5!/3!2! but this seems wrong since there is a unlimited supply. Instead I would think u have 5 choices for the first and 4 for the second hense 20

Posted from my mobile device

It is a test of combination concept since a box with 2 truffles AB or BA are considered to be the same and hence you need to divide the result of (First choice of truffle * second choice) of truffles --> 5*4 by 2.

This leads to the answer given in the book --- 5!/((2!)*(3!)) -- 10.
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To use MGMAT's anagram method, let Y = included and N = not included. This would give YYNNN. So it would be 5!/(3!2!).
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The questions asks "how many different boxes can they make". The unlimited supply is irrelevant.

Therefore 5!/(2!*3!) = 10
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Jinglander

Amy and Adam are making boxes of truffles for as wedding favors. They have an unlimited supply of 5 different types of truffles.
Bag of 5 choices.

Jinglander

If each box holds 2 truffles of different types
Combo box arrangement
(_)(_)/2!

Jinglander

how many different boxes can they make.
First position has 5 choices. Second position has 4 choices.
(5)(4)/2!

Jinglander

The book says it's 5!/3!2!

5!/3!2! = (5)(4)(3)(2)(1)/(3)(2)(1)(2)(1) = (5)(4)/2!



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