SOLUTION: The reading list for a literature class has 7 fiction and 9 nonfiction books. A student is to write a report on 5 books from the list during the semester. The reports must include

Algebra.Com
Question 1116838: The reading list for a literature class has 7 fiction and 9 nonfiction books. A student is to write a report on 5 books from the list during the semester. The reports must include at least 1 and at most 4 reports of fiction books. In how many ways can the selection of books be made?
Answer by ikleyn(52780)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
All possible opportunities are listed in the table below (two most-left columns)


 #of fiction books   #of non-fiction books  #of combinations  value
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

        1                     4                          882
 
        2                     3                         1764

        3                     2                         1260

        4                     1                          315



The third column contains the formulas for the number of selections.

The fourth column contains the values calculated with these formulas:


 =  = 882;

 =  = 1764;

 =  = 1260;

 =  = 315.


Now your last step is to add all four numbers in the right column:  882 + 1764 + 1260 + 315 = 4221.


Answer.  The selection of books can be made in 4221 ways.


RELATED QUESTIONS

A. The ratio of fiction books to nonfiction books in a library containing 1050 fiction... (answered by jorel1380)
A reading list for a course in world literature has 20 books on it. How many ways can you (answered by edjones)
A libraian finds that in one day, 344 people check out nonfiction books, 687 check out... (answered by stanbon)
At a used book sale, 100 books are adult books and 160 books are children's books.... (answered by solver91311)
Dave puts a collection of 15 books on a bookshelf in a random order. Among the books are... (answered by 303795)
A bookstore has 15,000 books in stock, of which 60 percent are paperbacks, and 40% are... (answered by Theo)
An English teacher needs to pick 10 books to put on her reading list for the next school (answered by Edwin McCravy)
a bookshelf has 84 books on it. There are twice as many non-fiction books as fiction... (answered by macston)
Mr. Lee brought reading books to his class. If each student takes 5 books. there will... (answered by Boreal,zjjc123)