A,B,C, and D are sitting along one side of a table. In how many different orders could the four friends be sitting?
a b c d
a b d c
a c b d
a c d b
a d b c
a d c b
Well, six ways for each of the four starting letters
6*4 = 24
By the way
4! = 4*3*2*1 = 24
To find the number of different orders in which the four friends A, B, C, and D can be sitting along one side of a table, we can use the concept of permutations.
Since there are four friends, we have four options for the first seat, three options for the second seat, two options for the third seat, and one option for the last seat.
Using the formula for permutations, we multiply the number of options together:
4 options for the first seat × 3 options for the second seat × 2 options for the third seat × 1 option for the fourth seat = 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24
Therefore, there are 24 different orders in which A, B, C, and D can be sitting along one side of the table.