document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=967412>Question 967412</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> a certain number of friends are waiting in line to board a new roller coaster. They can board the ride in 5,040 diffrent ways. How many friends are in line<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #591288 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=591288\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> i don't know if there's a formula to find this.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you can try several numbers and iterate to get the answer.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the number of friends will be x, where x! = 5040.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "try 5! to get 120<BR>\n" );
document.write( "try 6! to get 720<BR>\n" );
document.write( "try 12! to get 479001600 which is way too big.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "try 9! to get 3628880 which is still too big.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "it whould be 7 or 8.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "try 7! to get 720 * 7 = 5040.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the number is 7 because 7! = 5040.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the easy way was to work up.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1! = 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2! = 2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3! = 2! * 3 = 2*3 = 6<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4! = 3! * 4 = 6 * 4 = 24<BR>\n" );
document.write( "5! = 4! * 5 = 24 * 5 = 120<BR>\n" );
document.write( "6! = 5! * 6 = 120 * 6 = 720<BR>\n" );
document.write( "7! = 6! * 7 = 720 * 7 = 5040\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you did have to know that the number of different arrangements of x people is x!.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "but once you knew that, the rest was just working through the numbers.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a calculator that does factorials is helpful.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "it takes the drudgery out of the calculations.\r<BR>\n" );
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