Permutation and Combination Activity 5

Objectives

Understand the difference between permutation and combination

Prerequisites/Instructions, prior preparations, if any

In the following exercises determine whether the problem involves permutations or combinations and explain why. It is not necessary to solve the problem.

Materials/ Resources needed

Paper, Pencil

Process (How to do the activity)

1. A music CD library offers a choice of 9 CDs from a list of 60. In how many ways can a member make a selection?
   1. Permutations, because the order of the CDs selected does matter.
   2. Combinations, because the order of the CDs selected does not matter.

Solution : Combination, because 9 selected CDs the order does not matter.

1. One hundred people purchase lottery tickets. Three winning tickets will be selected at random. If first prize is $100, second prize is $50, and third prize is $10, in how many different ways can the prizes be awarded?
   1. Permutations, because the order of the selected winning tickets does matter.
   2. Combinations, because the order of the selected winning tickets does not matter.

Solution : Permutations, because 3 prizes are different – as they have different amount of money and the order in this case matters .