SOLUTION: How many ways can the letters of the word "PIPPIN" be permulated taking 3 letters at a time?

Algebra ->  Permutations -> SOLUTION: How many ways can the letters of the word "PIPPIN" be permulated taking 3 letters at a time?      Log On


   



Question 766654: How many ways can the letters of the word "PIPPIN" be permulated taking 3 letters at a time?
Answer by DrBeeee(684) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You have 6 letters to be taken 3 at a time. If you did not have any repeated letters you get
(1) 6P3 = 6*5*4 or 120 arrangements of 3 letters
However, when you have repeated letters you divide (1) by the factorial of the number of times each letter is repeated. In this case we have P repeated three times so we divide by three factorial and we have I repeated twice so we also divide by two factorial and get
(2) 6P3/(3!*2!) = 120/(6*2) = 10
Answer: there are 10 arrangements.