COMBINATIONs Grade 10 Math

COMBINATION
What is a Combination?
A combination is a mathematical technique that determines the number of possible arrangements in a

collection of items where the order of the selection does not matter. In combinations, you can select the
items in any order.
Where:
n Cr = number of combinations
n = total number of objects in the set
r = number of choosing objects from the set
Example 1. In a party of 10 people, each person shakes hands with every other person. How many
possible combinations of handshakes can be made?
We need to find the number of ways in which 2 people can be selected out of 10.
Solution:
n=10 r=2
TYPES OF COMBINATIONS
A. Basic Combination
Let us use the formula:
Where:
n is the total number of items and
r is the number of items you want to choose.
Example:
A committe of 4 people is to be formed from a group of 9 people.
How many possible committees can be formed?
Solution:
n= 9 r= 4
nCr= n!/r!(n-r)!
9C4= 9!/4!(9-4)!
=126 ways
Sometimes you will be forced to include or exclude particular items when making a combination. This
will reduce the number of items in your srlection pool, and also the number of items you can select.
Example:
A school committee of 5 is to be formed from 9 students. How many commitees can be formed if Heidi
must be on the committee?
Solution:
n= 9-1= 8 we will reduce by 1 in the selection pool because Heidi must be
r= 5-1 = 4 included in the commitee
nCr= n!/r!(n-r)!
8C4= 8!/4!(8-4)!
= 70 committes can be formed
B. Combinations from Multiple Selection Pools
Let us illustrate the combination of selection with multiple groups of items from
which you are required to make a choice, we will MULTIPLY the seperate cases
together.
Example:
How many committees are possible if a committee of 4 boys and 7 girls is to be

formed from a group id 12 boys and 13 girls?
Solution:
Out of 12 boys, we must choose 4 : 12C4
Out of 13 girls, we must choose 7: 13C7
=12C4 × 13C7
= 849,420 committees are possible
C. Combination on At Least/ At Most
Let us illustrate the combination of selecting with At Least / At Most questions

which will require us to ADD all the possible cases together.
At Least Increasing while At Most decreasing

Example:
A committee of 6 people is to be formed from a group of 5 men and 6 women.

How many possible committees can be formed if at least 4 women are on the
committee?
Solution:
If at least 4 women are on the committee, that means we can have a committee
with 4 women, 5 women, and 6 women. Find the combinations for each cases,
then add them all together.
4 Women
6 women to choose from and we require 4 : 6C4
5 men to choose from and we require 2 : 5C2
Total combinations: 6C4 × 5C2
5 Women
6 Women
ADD THEM ALL TOGETHER
C = 6C4 × 5C2 + 6C5 × 5C1 + 6C6 × 5C0

C = 107 possible committees can be formed
D. Other Types of Combinations
1. Combinations on Handshakes/ Teams
nC2= n!/2!(n-2)!
Where n: number of people or teams
Example:
There are 15 students in your committee meeting. All shakes hands once with
everyone else before the meeting. How many handshakes took place?
Solution:
n= 15
nC2= n!/2!(n-2)!
15C2 = 15!/2!(15-2)!
= 105 handshakes took place
2. Combinations on Diagonals
nC2-n = n!/2!(n-2)! -n
Where n = number of sides
Example:
How many diagonals does an octagon have?
Solution: n = 8 ( octagon has 8 8 sides)
nC2-n = n!/2!(n-2)! -n
8C2-8 = 8!/2!(8-2)!-8
= 20 diagonals an octagon has
3 Multiple Combinations
nCr × k = n!/r!(n-r)!
Where k = number of times all the possible combinations must happen
Example:
How many games will be played during your school intramurals if each of the 12
teams in a league from grade 7 to 12 must play each other 5 times?
Solution:
n = 12 k = 5 r = 2 since 2 teams will play each other at a time
nCr × k = n!/r!(n-r)
12C2 × 5 = 12!/2!(12-2)! × 5
= 330 games will be played
4. Combinations on Making Shapes
nCr × k = n!/r!(n-r)!
Where n = points in a circle
k = number of verticles
Example:
On a circle there are 11 points selected. How many triangles with edges in these
points exist?
Solution:
n = 11 points
k = 3 ( a triangle has 3 verticle)
nCr × k = n!/r!(n-r)!
11C3 = 11!/3!(11-3)!
= 165 triangles
5. Combinations on Choosing One or More
C = 2^n -1
Where n = number of items in total
Example:
There are 15 different lollipops in your bag. In how many ways can you choose
one or more of these 15 different lollipops?
Solution: n = 15
C = 2^n - 1
C = 2^15 - 15
= 32,767 ways of choosing one or more lollipops
E. Compound Sets ( Permutations and Combinations Together)

This is both arranging and choosing which will be used together in solving the
following .
Example:
How many arrangements of the word EXPLAINS can be made if only 2 vowels and
4 consonants are used?
Solution:
n (vowels) = 3. r = 2 (chosen used vowels) = 3C2
n (consonants) = 5 r = 4 (chosen used consonants) = 5C4
nPn = 6! (2 + 4 = 6 number of letters required to make a word)
3C2 × 5C4 × 6P6
= 10,800 arrangements of the word EXPLAINS

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COMBINATION

A combination is a mathematical technique that determines the number of possible arrangements in a

n = total number of objects in the set

r = number of choosing objects from the set

Let us use the formula:

n is the total number of items and

r is the number of items you want to choose.

A committe of 4 people is to be formed from a group of 9 people.

How many possible committees can be formed?

r= 5-1 = 4 included in the commitee

= 70 committes can be formed

B. Combinations from Multiple Selection Pools

How many committees are possible if a committee of 4 boys and 7 girls is to be

Out of 12 boys, we must choose 4 : 12C4

Out of 13 girls, we must choose 7: 13C7

= 849,420 committees are possible

C. Combination on At Least/ At Most

Let us illustrate the combination of selecting with At Least / At Most questions

At Least Increasing while At Most decreasing

A committee of 6 people is to be formed from a group of 5 men and 6 women.

6 women to choose from and we require 4 : 6C4

5 men to choose from and we require 2 : 5C2

Total combinations: 6C4 × 5C2

6 women to choose from and we require 5 : 6C5

5 men to choose from and we require 1 : 5C1

Total combinations: 6C5 × 5C1

6 women to choose from and we require 6 : 6C6

5 men to choose from and we require 0 : 5C0

Total combinations: 6C6 × 5C0

ADD THEM ALL TOGETHER

C = 6C4 × 5C2 + 6C5 × 5C1 + 6C6 × 5C0

D. Other Types of Combinations

1. Combinations on Handshakes/ Teams

Where n: number of people or teams

= 105 handshakes took place

Where n = number of sides

How many diagonals does an octagon have?

Solution: n = 8 ( octagon has 8 8 sides)

= 20 diagonals an octagon has

Where k = number of times all the possible combinations must happen

n = 12 k = 5 r = 2 since 2 teams will play each other at a time

= 330 games will be played

4. Combinations on Making Shapes

Where n = points in a circle

k = 3 ( a triangle has 3 verticle)

5. Combinations on Choosing One or More

Where n = number of items in total

= 32,767 ways of choosing one or more lollipops

E. Compound Sets ( Permutations and Combinations Together)

n (vowels) = 3. r = 2 (chosen used vowels) = 3C2

n (consonants) = 5 r = 4 (chosen used consonants) = 5C4

nPn = 6! (2 + 4 = 6 number of letters required to make a word)

3C2 × 5C4 × 6P6

= 10,800 arrangements of the word EXPLAINS

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