SOLUTION: There are 12 color pencils in different colors. If the 4 boxes are filled with different colors, how many different patterns can be formed? (Each box can only be filled with one co

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Question 1175187: There are 12 color pencils in different colors. If the 4 boxes are filled with different colors, how many different patterns can be formed? (Each box can only be filled with one color.)
Answer by ikleyn(52832) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Each pattern is an  ORDERED  sequence of colors.

Therefore,  the answer to the problem's question is

                12*11*10*9 = 11880   different patterns.

Ordering is important,  so we use  PERMUTATIONS,  not combinations.

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Solved and completed.