1|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

QUESTION 1

1.1 How many possible combinations are there from six pen colours, three different kinds of
pens and two different coloured notepads? (2)
1.2 The shop makes four sizes of surfboards that can come with any of five fin styles. How
many different surfboards can you get?
(2)
1.3 This model of computer comes with two different processor speeds, four hard drive
capacities and two different memory sizes. How many configurations are there?
(2)

1.4 If the light bulb comes in your choice of four sizes and four different wattages, how many
(2)
different bulbs can you choose from?
1.5 If the store has four kinds of sweaters in nine colours, how many different sweaters can
you buy?
(2)
1.6 The printer will make the yard sign in any of six sizes, five ink colours and with either a
wood or metal post. How many possible ways to make it are there?
(2)
1.7 The menu has four different sandwiches and nine drinks. How many lunch combinations
can you choose from?
(2)
1.8 We have five kinds of lenses, two different filter coatings and ten styles of eyeglass
frames. How many combinations are possible?
(2)
[16]

QUESTION 2

2.1 Innocentia has five different skits, four different tops and three pairs of shoes. Assuming
that all colours complement each other, how many different outfits can be put together? (2)
2.2 In a multiple-choice question paper of 20 questions the answers can be A, B, C and D.
how many different ways are there of answering the question paper? (2)
2.3 A debit card requires a five digit PIN consisting of digits from 0 to 9. The digits may be
repeated. How many possible PINs are there? (2)
2.4 A code for a safe is in the form XXXYYY, where X is any number from 0 to 9 and Y represents
the letters of the alphabets. How many codes are possible for each of the following cases:
2.4.1 The digits and the letters can be repeated. (2)
2.4.2 The digits and the letters can be repeated, but the code may not contain a zero or
any of the vowels in the alphabets. (2)

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12

 2|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

2.4.3 The digits and the letters can be repeated, but the digits may only be prime
numbers and the letters X, Y and Z are excluded from the code. (2)
2.5 How many numbers are there between 500 and 1000 which have exactly one of their digits
(5)
as 8?
2.5 The digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6are used to make a 3 digit code.
2.5.1 How many unique codes are possible if digits can be repeated? (2)
2.5.2 How many unique codes are possible if digits may not be repeated? (2)
2.5.3 In the case where digits can be repeated, how many codes are numbers that are
greater than 300 and exactly divisible by 5? (3)
[24]

QUESTION 3

3.1 Consider the digits 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7 and 8,then answer the questions which follow:
3.1.1 How many two digit numbers can be formed if repetition is allowed? (2)
3.1.2 How many 4-digit numbers can be formed if repetition is not allowed? (2)
3.2 Given the word PARABOLA.
3.2.1 In how many different ways can the letters of the word PARABOLA be arranged? (3)
3.2.2 Determine the probability that an arrangement will have all the A’s together. (3)
3.3 The letters that form the word MATHEMATICS are arranged as shown below on separate cards.

3.3.1 How many other “words” can be arranged using all these cards? (2)
3.3.2 What is the probability that a “word” made, has all the vowels above next to each
other? (3)
3.4 The nine letters of the word EQUATIONS are used to form different five-letter codes.
3.4.1 How many different five-letter codes can be formed from the nine different letters
in the word EQUATIONS. (2)
3.4.2 How many different five-letter codes can be formed from the letters in the word
EQUATIONS by using all the consonants and one vowel? (3)
[20]

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12

 3|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

QUESTION 4

4.1 A club has nine members. In how many ways can a president, vice president, and secretary
be chosen from the members of this club? (3)
4.2 A student activity club at the college has 32 members. In how many different ways can the
club select a president, a vice president, a treasurer, and a secretary? (3)
4.3 Ping pong balls are numbered 1 to 12 and placed in a hat. Every time a ball is drawn it is placed
on a rack, one next to the other
4.3.1 How many different arrangements of the 12 balls are possible? (2)
4.3.2 Assume that the numbers 8 and 11 must be placed next to each other, in any
order. In how many ways can the numbers then be rearranged? (3)
4.3.3 The numbers 2, 5, 6 and 9 are taken from the group of balls. Two-digit numbers
must be formed out of these four numbers. How many numbers can be formed? (3)
4.4 Four different mathematics books and three different science books were left on the table. You
need to place these books on a shelf.
4.4.1 If you decide to place any book in any position, in how many different ways can
you arrange the books on the shelf? (2)
4.4.2 If two particular books must be placed next to each other, in how many different
ways can you arrange the books on the shelf? (3)
4.4.3 If all the mathematics books must be placed next to each other and all the science
books must be placed next to each other, in how many different ways can you
arrange the books on the shelf? (3)
[22]

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12

 4|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

QUESTION 5

5.1 Three items from four different departments of a major chain store will be featured in a one page
newspaper advertisement. The page layout for the advertisement is shown in the diagram below
where one item will be placed in each block.

5.1.1 In how many different ways can all these items be arranged in the advertisement? (2)
5.1.2 In how many different ways can these items be arranged if specific items are to be
placed in blocks A, F and J? (3)
5.1.3 In how many different ways can these items be arranged in the advertisement if
items from the same department are grouped together in the same row? (3)
5.2 A photographer has placed six chairs in the front row of a studio. Three boys and three girls are
to be seated in these chairs. In how many different ways can they be seated if:
5.2.1 Any learner may be seated in any chair. (2)
5.2.2 Two particular learners wish to be seated next to each other. (3)
5.3 Four different chairs and five different stools are arranged in a row.
5.3.1 How many ways can they be arranged? (2)
5.3.2 How many ways can they be arranged so that the stools are together and the
chairs are together? (3)
5.3.3 What is the probability that two particular chairs will always be together? (3)
[21]

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12

 5|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

QUESTION 6

6.1 Six friends sit in a row on a bench. Two of them have just had an argument and will not sit
next to each other. How many possible arrangements are there? (3)
6.2 Consider the letters in the word MINIMAL. Assume that the repeated letters are treated as
the same (identical) letters. What is the probability that a random arrangement of the
letters starts with A and ends with M? (5)
6.3 A Banana Airways aeroplane has 6 seats in each row.
6.3.1 How many possible arrangements are there for 6 people in a row of 6 seats? (2)
6.3.2 Xoliswa, Anees and 4 other passengers sit in a certain row on a Banana Airways
flight. In how many different ways can these 6 passengers be seated if Xoliswa
and Anees must sit next to each other? (3)
6.3.3 Mary and 5 other passengers are to be seated in a certain row. If seats are
allocated at random, what is the probability that Mary will sit at the end of the (3)
row?
6.4 Seven cars of different manufacturers, of which 3 are silver, are to be parked in a straight line.
6.4.1 In how many different ways can all the cars be parked? (2)
6.4.2 If the three silver cars must be parked next to each other, determine in how many
different ways the cars can be parked. (3)
[21]
QUESTION 7

12 people were invited to a dinner party and seated around the table.
7.1 If there are 7 ladies and they are seated next to each, how many different ways can the
ladies be seated? (3)
7.2 If the guests randomly draw their seat number from a hat, how many possible ways can all
the guests sit around the table? (3)
7.3 After dinner, the party separates to go home, and breaks into groups of 4 each travelling in
a different direction, how many different ways can the dinner guests be grouped. (3)
7.4 The dinner party is a dress-up party and prizes are awarded to the first, second and third
best dressed. How many possible ways are there for the prizes to be given out? (3)
7.5 If the top 3 best-dressed are chosen, but it doesn’t matter who is first, second or third, how
many different ways can the top 3 be chosen? (3)
[15]

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12

 6|Page TUTORIALS - FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLES

QUESTION 8

There are three major political parties in the country, the ANC, the DA and the EFF.
8.1 If there are 150 voters, how many different ways can the votes for each of the parties be
cast? (3)
8.2 If there are 10 voters:
8.2.1 What is the probability that all 10 voters vote for the ANC? (3)
8.2.2 What is the probability that a group of 3 of the 10 voters will vote for the EFF? (3)
8.2.3 What is the probability that 7 of the 10 voters will vote for the DA? (3)
[12]

QUESTION 9

A gardener has bought a selection of plants: 5 roses, 3 tulips, 4 creepers, 7 daffodils and 6 jasmine
bushes.
9.1 How many different ways can all the plants be arranged? (2)
9.2 If all the roses are planted together in a row, how many ways can the roses be arranged? (3)
9.3 If only the tulips, creepers and daffodils are planted together in a row, how many ways can
these flowers be arranged? (3)
9.4 The gardener decides to randomly select 5 out of all the plants and arrange them in a row
in the front garden, how many ways can the 5 plants be selected? (3)
9.5 How many ways can 5 randomly selected plants from all the plants the gardener bought be
arranged in a row? (3)
[14]

QUESTION 10

There are 16 children playing a game.

10.1 If there are 2 teams, how many different ways can the teams be selected? (3)
10.2 If there are 4 teams, how many different ways can the teams be selected? (3)
10.3 If there are 8 teams, how many different ways can the teams be selected? (3)
[9]

Compiled by Mamba MA Lovunywa Secondary School Probability - Grade 12