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If you know the names of the remaining eight eight students in the spelling​ bee, what is the probability of randomly selecting an order and getting the order that is used in the spelling​ bee?

1 Answer

7 votes
Assuming that there are 8 names that are going to be used for a random order;

First, let's try to figure out how many possible ways the names can be arrange:

=8 choices x 7 choice x 6 choices x 5 ... x 1 choice (if you select person A to go first, they cannot be second as well, so that is why 8 choices is multiplied by 7 instead of 8)

This can also be written as 8!

The specific way that a random set of names is chosen by you and actually chosen is 1. Each name has a specific order, in each term so there can only be one possible way.

Therefore, P(order being chosen)=1/8!

Hope I helped :)
User Blakely
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