Three friends sit in a row. In how many different orders can they be seated?
- A. three
- B. six
- C. nine
- D. twelve
Explanation
The number of arrangements of three distinct people is 3 factorial, that is 3 multiplied by 2 multiplied by 1, which gives 6. For four people it would rise to 24, since factorials grow very quickly. Seating puzzles often turn on this counting principle.
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