Fundamental Principle of Counting

1
Fundamental Principle of Counting
Next Slide
2
A cafe serves burgers and two different kinds of
sweets ice cream and cake. How many different
variations in meals can a customer have?
Click for visual
Click for table
2 Choices
Next Slide
3
A cafe serves 2 main courses burger and steak
and two sweets ice cream and cake. How many
different variations in meals can a customer have?
Click for visual
Click for table
4 Choices
Click for variations
Next Slide
4
A cafe serves 3 main courses burger, steak and
salmon and two sweets, ice cream and cake. How
many different variations in meals can a customer
have?
Click for visual
Click for table
6 Choices
Click for variations
Next Slide
5
If a student can have either an Espresso or a
Cappuccino and a Twix, Mars or Kit Kat. How many
different snacks consisting of a drink and a bar
can they have?
Click for visual
6 choices
.
Next Slide
6
If a student can have either an Espresso, Latte
or a Cappuccino and a Twix, Mars or Kit Kat. How
many different snacks of a drink and a bar can
they have?
Click for visual
9 choices
.
Next Slide
7
If a farmer wants to buy a tractor and a
trailer. He has three choices for a tractor and
three for a trailer. How many different sets of
equipment has, he to choose from?
Click for visual
9 choices
Click for each variation
Next Slide
8
If a farmer wants to buy a tractor and a
trailer. He has four choices for a tractor and
three for a trailer. How many different sets of
equipment has, he to choose from?
Click for visual
Click for each variation
12 choices
Next Slide
9
Fundamental Principle of Counting
Choices Click for each answer
Item 2
Item 1
2 Choices
2 Sweets
I Main Course
4 Choices
2 Sweets
2 Main Courses
6 Choices
2 Sweets
3 Main Course
6 Choices
3 Bars
2 Coffees
9 Choices
3 Bars
3 Coffees
9 Choices
3 Trailers
3 Tractors
12 Choices
3 Trailers
4 Tractors
MN Choices
N Items
M Items
This is the Fundamental Principle of Counting
10
More than 2 choices

• Note the Fundamental Principle of Counting also
  applies, if one has more than 2 choices.
• For example, if one has 3 items to choose from
  and there are N choices for the first one, M for
  the second and D for the third. Then there are
  MND possible outcomes.

Next Slide
11
Click for worksheet