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To win the State of Florida LOTTO, one must correctly select 6 numbers from a collection of 53 numbers (1 thru 53). The order in which the selection is made does not matter. How many different selections are possible?

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Final answer:

The number of different selections possible in the State of Florida LOTTO, where six numbers are chosen from a pool of 53, is calculated using combinations, specifically C(53, 6) which evaluates to 53! / (6! * 47!). This is a common type of high school level combinatorics question in mathematics.

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculating the Number of Different Selections in a Lottery

To determine the number of possible selections for the Florida LOTTO, where one must correctly select 6 numbers out of 53, we need to use the concept of combinations since the order of the numbers does not matter. The formula to calculate the number of combinations (often written as C(n, k) or nCk) where n is the total number of numbers to choose from, and k is the number selected, is given by:

C(n, k) = n! / (k!(n - k)!)

Using the formula, the calculation for the Florida LOTTO would be:

C(53, 6) = 53! / (6!(53 - 6)!) = 53! / (6! * 47!)

When you compute the factorial values and divide accordingly, you'll arrive at the total number of possible different selections for the lottery.

As this is a high school-level probability question, it involves factorial computation and understanding of combination principles, which are generally covered in high school mathematics curriculum.

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