Questions: An election ballot asks voters to select six city commissioners from a group of twenty candidates. In how many ways can this be done
Transcript text: An election ballot asks voters to select six city commissioners from a group of twenty candidates. In how many ways can this be done
Solution
Solution Steps
To determine the number of ways to select six city commissioners from a group of twenty candidates, we need to use the concept of combinations. The formula for combinations is given by:
C(n,k)=k!(n−k)!n!
where n is the total number of candidates, and k is the number of candidates to be selected.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
We need to determine the number of ways to select six city commissioners from a group of twenty candidates. This is a combination problem where we are choosing k items from n items without regard to the order.
Step 2: Use the Combination Formula
The formula for combinations is given by:
C(n,k)=k!(n−k)!n!
where n is the total number of candidates, and k is the number of candidates to be selected.
Step 3: Substitute the Values
Substitute n=20 and k=6 into the combination formula:
C(20,6)=6!(20−6)!20!=6!⋅14!20!
Step 4: Calculate the Result
Using the combination formula, we calculate:
C(20,6)=38,760