SOLUTION: Suzie has a collection of coins: a penny, a dime, a nickel, and a quarter. If she picks two coins out at a time, what are all of the possible outcomes?

Algebra.Com
Question 1153004: Suzie has a collection of coins: a penny, a dime, a nickel, and a quarter. If she picks two coins out at a time, what are all of the possible outcomes?

Answer by ikleyn(52832)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

I will code the coins by the first letter of their names:


    P for penny;

    N for nickel;

    D for dime;

    Q for quarter.


Then all outcomes are these pairs


    PN, PD, PQ, ND, NQ, DQ.


In all, there are 6 pairs.


Notice that in Suzie's collection, there is only ONE coin in each nomination.

Therefore, the pairs PP, NN,  DD, QQ  do not exist.


Also, the order of coins in pairs does not matter.


Thus the number of outcomes is equal to the number of all combinations of 4 items taken 2 at a time


     =  = 2*3 = 6.

----------------

This problem introduces you to the notion/conception of COMBINATIONS.

On Combinations,  see introductory lessons
    - Introduction to Combinations
    - PROOF of the formula on the number of Combinations
    - Problems on Combinations
    - OVERVIEW of lessons on Permutations and Combinations
in this site.

Also,  you have this free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-II in this site
    - ALGEBRA-II - YOUR ONLINE TEXTBOOK.

The referred lessons are the part of this online textbook under the topic  "Combinatorics: Combinations and permutations".


Save the link to this textbook together with its description

Free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-II
https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/complex/ALGEBRA-II-YOUR-ONLINE-TEXTBOOK.lesson

into your archive and use when it is needed.



RELATED QUESTIONS

Beth has a quarter, a dime and a nickel in her pocket. She pulls out two coins at random. (answered by Fombitz,richwmiller)
Cathy has a nickel, a dime, and a quarter in her purse. She randomly picks a coin,... (answered by Alan3354,robertb)
A box of 6 coins (penny, nickel, dime or quarter) worth $0.67 is shaken. What is the... (answered by richwmiller)
A box of 6 coins (penny, nickel, dime or quarter) worth $0.67 is shaken. What is the... (answered by Edwin McCravy)
a box of 6 coins(penny, nickel,dime,or quarter) worth $.67 what is the probability that a (answered by Fombitz)
Suppose we flip four coins simultaneously: a penny, a nickel, a dime, and a quarter. What (answered by stanbon)
How many different arrangements of three coins can be made if you have a penny, a nickel, (answered by stanbon)
A box of 6 coins (penny, nickel, dime or quarter) worth $0.67 is shaken. What is the... (answered by edjones)
how would i do this? A box of 6 coins (penny, nickel, dime or quarter) worth $0.67 is... (answered by vleith)