Multiple choice

The total number of different combinations of one or more letters which can be made from the letters of the word $'MISSISSIPPI'$ is

  1. $150$
  2. $148$
  3. $149$

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

MISSISSIPPI has 11 letters: M(1), I(4), S(4), P(2). Total combinations = (1+1)(4+1)(4+1)(2+1) - 1 = 2 * 5 * 5 * 3 - 1 = 150 - 1 = 149.

AI explanation

The word MISSISSIPPI contains 11 letters consisting of 1 M, 4 I's, 4 S's, and 2 P's. The maximum number of selections for each letter is its total count, so if zero selections were allowed for all letters simultaneously, the total combinations would be (1+1) multiplied by (4+1) multiplied by (4+1) multiplied by (2+1), giving 150 combinations. Because the question asks for combinations of one or more letters, we must exclude the single case where zero letters are chosen. Subtracting 1 from 150 gives 149 combinations.

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