Question

There are seven roads that lead to the top of a hill. How many different ways are there to reach the top and come back (you don't have to go on the same road there and back)?

Answer 1

49 different ways

Explanation:

If there are seven roads that lead to the top, you have seven possible choices to go to the top of the hill.

Then, to come back to the start, you also have seven possible choices (seven roads), and you can pick any road.

So, if you have seven ways go to up and seven ways to go down, the number of different ways of going to the top and come back is the product these numbers of possible choices.

N(total) = N(up) * N(down)

N(total) = 7 * 7

N(total) = 49 different ways