There are 5 women running in a race. How many first, second, and third place possibilities can occur?
A) 10
B) 125
C) 60
D) 15

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a permutation problem because the order in which the women finish matters. The formula for permutations is nPr = n! / (n-r)!, where n is the total number of items, and r is the number of items being chosen. Here, n = 5 (the number of women) and r = 3 (since we're looking for the first, second, and third places). Thus, the calculation is 5P3 = 5! / (5-3)! = 5! / 2! = (5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1) / (2 x 1) = 120 / 2 = 60.

There Are 5 Women Running in a Race