SOLUTION: Five math books and three science books are to be arranged at random in a bookshelf. What is the probability that books of the same subject are placed together?

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Question 1153769: Five math books and three science books are to be arranged at random in
a bookshelf. What is the probability that books of the same subject are placed
together?

Answer by ikleyn(52808) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

The number of favorable permutations is  


    5!*3!     + 3!*5!     = 120*6 + 6*120 = 720 + 720 = 1440 = 2*6!

    (MMMMMSSS + SSSMMMMM)    <<<---===  it is the SCHEME of placing (!)


The number of all permutations is (5+3)! = 8!


Therefore, the probability under the question is


    P = favorable%2Ftotal = 1440%2F%282%2A8%21%29 = %282%2A6%21%29%2F%281%2A2%2A3%2A4%2A5%2A6%2A7%2A8%29 = 2%2F%287%2A8%29 = 1%2F28.    ANSWER