Multiple choice

Sarah has 5 different books. She wants to arrange 3 of them on a shelf. How many different ways can she arrange the 3 books?

  1. 80

  2. 30

  3. 60

  4. 40

  5. 120

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The number of ways to arrange 3 books out of 5 is given by the permutation formula P(n, r) = n! / (n-r)!. Here, P(5, 3) = 5 * 4 * 3 = 60.

AI explanation

Because the order of the books on the shelf matters, we use the permutation formula nPr to find the arrangements. We calculate 5P3 = 5! / (5 - 3)! = (5 x 4 x 3 x 2!) / 2! = 60. Sarah can arrange the books in 60 different ways.