A manager needs to fill three positions, computer softer engineer, team-leader, and test engineer. The manager finds 5 applicants that qualify for all three jobs. How many different ways can the manager place those 5 people into the three possible positions?
5*4*3
what is the answer for the fractions and equivalent
5*4*3= 60
To find the number of different ways the manager can place the 5 applicants into the three possible positions, we can use the concept of combinations.
Since the order in which the applicants are placed in the positions does not matter, we need to calculate the number of combinations of 5 applicants taken 3 at a time. This can be represented by the combination formula:
C(n, r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!)
where n is the total number of items (applicants) and r is the number of items being selected (positions).
In this case, we have n = 5 (applicants) and r = 3 (positions). Plugging these values into the formula, we get:
C(5, 3) = 5! / (3!(5-3)!)
= 5! / (3!2!)
= (5 * 4 * 3!) / (3! * 2 * 1)
= (5 * 4) / (2 * 1)
= 10
Therefore, the manager can place the 5 applicants into the three positions in 10 different ways.