Question

The local diner offers a meal combination consisting of an appetizer, a soup, a main course, and a dessert. There are three appetizers, three soups, three main courses, and three desserts. Your diet restricts you to choosing between a dessert and an appetizer. (You cannot have both.) Given this restriction, how many three-course meals are possible

Answer 1

There are 2 * 32 = 64 possible ways for choosing three course meal.

Explanation:

1-If we choose an appetizer, main course and a soup then there are 32 ways to choose this three course meal. 4 * 2 * 4 = 32 ways. There will be an appetizer, main course and a soup in the meal.

2-If we choose a soup, main course and a dessert then there are 32 ways to choose this three course meal. 4 * 2 * 4 = 32 ways. There will be a soup, main course and a dessert in the meal.

There are 2 possible ways to choose either an appetizer or dessert in a 3 course meal. There will be 64 ways in total for the three course meal.