There are four cars entered into a pinewood derby race. In how many different orders can they cross the finish line, assuming there are no ties?
There are 4 cars, so there are 4 possibilities for which car finishes first. After one car finishes, there are 3 remaining possibilities for which car finishes second. Then there are 2 remaining possibilities for which car finishes third. Finally, the remaining car must finish last.
Therefore, the total number of different orders in which the cars can cross the finish line is 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24.
So, there are 24 different orders in which the cars can cross the finish line.