three students are running a race .how different ways can they finish the race
To calculate the number of different ways the three students can finish the race, we can use the concept of permutations. A permutation is an arrangement of elements in a specific order.
In this case, we have three students, let's call them A, B, and C. The first student to finish the race could be any one of the three students, so there are three choices for the first position.
Once the first student has finished, there are two remaining students to choose from for the second position. Therefore, there are two choices for the second position.
Finally, after the first two students have finished, there is only one student left for the third position.
To find the total number of different ways, we can multiply the number of choices for each position together:
3 (choices for the first position) × 2 (choices for the second position) × 1 (choice for the third position) = 6
Therefore, there are six different ways the three students can finish the race.