SOLUTION: There are 6 boys and 18 girls in a class. A group of 5 students is needed to work on a project. If at least 2 boys are needed, how many different groups of 5 students are possible?

Algebra.Com
Question 927195: There are 6 boys and 18 girls in a class. A group of 5 students is needed to work on a project. If at least 2 boys are needed, how many different groups of 5 students are possible?
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20055)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
There are 6 boys and 18 girls in a class. A group of 5 students is needed to work on a project.
If at least 2 boys are needed, how many different groups of 5 students are possible?
Strategy:  First find the number of groups of 5 students without regard to
whether the group contains at least 2 boys or not. Then we will calculate
the number of groups to eliminate which contain either no boys (all girls) 
or only one boy (4 girls and 1 boy).

1.  The number of groups of 5 without regard to whether there are at least 2
boys.  That's C(24,5) = 42504.

2.  The number of groups with no boys, (all girls) is C(18,5) = 8568, which
    we must subtract.
3.  The number of groups with only 1 boy and 4 girls. 
    Choose the boy 6 ways.
    For each of those ways, we can choose the 4 girls C18,4) ways.
    That's 6*C(18,4) = 6*3060 = 18360, which we must subtract. 

So we subtract those:

Answer: 42504-8568-18360 = 15576.

Edwin

RELATED QUESTIONS

in a class of 10 students, there are 4 boys and 6 girls. If a committee of 5 students is... (answered by stanbon)
A class consists of 15 students. The instructor wants to pick a group of 4 to work on a... (answered by sudhanshu_kmr)
The ratio of boys to girls in a graduating class is 4 to 5. How many boys and girls are... (answered by Fombitz,lenny460)
In a class there are 6 more girls than boys, and the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 5.... (answered by JulietG)
in a class there are 6 more girls than boys, and the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 5... (answered by josgarithmetic)
Please help me solve this question In a class there are 6 more girls than boys and the... (answered by stanbon)
There are 10 students in a class: 8 boys and 2 girls. If the teacher picks a group of... (answered by Fombitz)
from a class of 5 boys and 3 girls how many group of size 3 are possible if there are 2... (answered by ewatrrr)
The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 5:3. If there are 120 students, how many girls... (answered by vicgonzerx)