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ninjaintraining
First, we must select which side the person sitting along the aisle is on. There are 2 sides, so there are 2 options.

Next, of the remaining 6 seats, we need to choose 5 for the seats that will be filled. 6C5 = 6!/5! = 6 total ways.

Within those 5 seats, the total number of ways to arrange the 5 friends = 5! = 5*4*3*2*1 = 120.

So, the total number of arrangements is 2*6*120 = 1,440. Answer C.


Since it is a seating arrangement where order matters, shouldn't it be permutation?
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ninjaintraining
First, we must select which side the person sitting along the aisle is on. There are 2 sides, so there are 2 options.

Next, of the remaining 6 seats, we need to choose 5 for the seats that will be filled. 6C5 = 6!/5! = 6 total ways.

Within those 5 seats, the total number of ways to arrange the 5 friends = 5! = 5*4*3*2*1 = 120.

So, the total number of arrangements is 2*6*120 = 1,440. Answer C.


Since it is a seating arrangement where order matters, shouldn't it be permutation?

Yes, you are right that order matters. Once we choose the 5 seats that the friends are sitting, then we do 5! to find all the possible permutations with the 5 friends sitting in those 5 seats. Hope this makes sense.
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First, we must select which side the person sitting along the aisle is on. There are 2 sides, so there are 2 options.

Next, of the remaining 6 seats, we need to choose 5 for the seats that will be filled. 6C5 = 6!/5! = 6 total ways.

Within those 5 seats, the total number of ways to arrange the 5 friends = 5! = 5*4*3*2*1 = 120.

So, the total number of arrangements is 2*6*120 = 1,440. Answer C.


Since it is a seating arrangement where order matters, shouldn't it be permutation?

Yes, you are right that order matters. Once we choose the 5 seats that the friends are sitting, then we do 5! to find all the possible permutations with the 5 friends sitting in those 5 seats. Hope this makes sense.


That makes sense. I solved it in a different way.

1 person - one side Aisle
To seat 5 people in the remaining 6 seats - 6P5 = 720 ways

Total = 2x720 = 1440 ways
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Bunuel
In a certain movie theater, the rows are 7 seats across with aisles on either side. A group of 6 friends goes to the movies and finds an empty row to sit in. One of them needs to sit in a seat along the aisle. Which of the following calculations represents the number of possible different seating arrangements for the 6 friends?

A. 360
B. 720
C. 1,440
D. 5,040
E. 10,080
­
I understand the solution for 1440, but why can the answer not be 5040 or 4320?

KarishmaB MartyMurray gmatophobia, could you please help find the faulty approach here? 
Approach 1 - 5040.
Quote:
 
If 2 of the 7 seats are aisle seats, one of the 6 friends has to sit in an aisle seat.

We have 7 seats and 6 friends to be seated.

So, 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2  = 5040 ways
Approach 2 - 4320
Quote:
Asked to have one person to be seated in the Aisle seat.

One aisle - 6 different students can be seated. So = 6 ways.  ---> 1

Remaining 6 seats, we have 5 friends to be seated.

So, 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2  = 720 ways ----> 2

Combining, 1 and 2 statements, can we not say,

Answer -  6 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2  = 4320 ways
 
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