Question

there are three students competing in a spelling bee. how many different ways can they place in the contest?

Answer 1

Let's name the students A, B and C. The possibilities for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place are:

A, B, C

A, C, B

B, A, C

B, C, A

C, A, B

C, B, A

Then, there are 6 possibilities