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A Teaching- Learning Package in Mathematics 10

Teacher: Maryland V. Pasilan

Method: Five A’s

TLP 17: Fundamental Principle of Counting

Objectives: Through the discussion and examples, the students will be able to:
1. use the fundamental principle of counting in solving problems.

A. ACTIVATION
Do you know how to count?
The teacher will recall some ideas by the following activities.
1. Toss a coin 10 times and record the results. How many did the “head” turn up?
2. A student is choosing between science (S) or Math (M) as a course of study and intend to enroll in at UP,
DLSU, or ADMU. How many ways can a course and a school be chosen?
3. The different arrangements of the colors red, white, blue, and yellow are to use to form signal flaglets. How
many signal flaglets can be formed?
In the activity above, we use the three method for counting. The tree diagram, table of outcomes and
systemic listing are a great way in finding the total number of outcomes, but it can be time consuming.
The fundamental Counting Principle (FCP) can help calculate this total, thus shortening the process.

B. BUILDING – UP

The fundamental Principle of Counting

The observations made in the preceding examples are the conditions of the Fundamental Principle of
Counting.

Fundamental Principle of Counting (FPC)

If one event can occur in m ways, and another event can occur in n ways, then, these events can occur in
mn ways, provided that the two events are independent events.

Example 1. Two – digit numbers are formed from the digits 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, and 9.
a. How many two-digit numbers can be formed?
b. How many o these are even?
c. How many of these are odd?
d. How many of these are divisible by 3?
 e. How many of these are less than 50?
f. How many of these are greater than 49 but less than 70?
Solution:
The two independent events in forming the two-digit numbers are: choosing the 1st digit and choosing
the 2nd digit.
a. The 1st digit is a non-zero digit. The 2nd digit has no restriction.
1st digit 2nd digit
9 options 10 options

(9)(10) = 90 two – digit numbers

b. The last digits of an even number is either 0,2,4,6, or 8. The 1st digit is anon – zero digit.

1st digit 2nd digit

9 options 5 options

(9)(5) = 45 two – digit even numbers

c. The last digit of an odd number is either 1,3,5,7, or 9. The 1st digit is a non-zero digit.

1st digit 2nd digit

9 options 5 options

(9)(5) = 45 two – digit odd numbers

d. The most convenient way to determine the number of two-digit numbers that are divisible by 3 is to list these
numbers: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 78, 81, 84, 87, 90,
93, 96, and 99. Therefore, there are 30-digit numbers that are divisible by 3.
e. The 1st digit of two – digit numbers that are less than 50 either 1,2,3, or 4. The 2nd digit has no restriction.

1st digit 2nd digit

4 options 10 options

(4)(10) = 40 two – digit numbers less than 50

f. The 1st digit of two – digit numbers that are greater than 49 but less than 70 is either 5 or 6. The 2nd digit has
no restriction.

1st digit 2nd digit

2 options 10 options

(2)(10) = 20 two – digit numbers greater than 49 but less than 70.

Example 2. A cellphone service provider offers two offers two free smart phone apps. If there are 24 different
apps to choose from, how many different combinations of two apps can a client have?
Solution:
The two independent events are: choosing the 1st app from the 24 options, and choosing the 2nd app from
the 23 options left after the 1st selection is made.

1st app 2nd app

24 23 = 552 combinations
The application of FPC can be extended to three or more events. This is illustrated in the next example.

Example 3. In Make – Your- Own Pizza Parlor, a customer can choose between either a thin or thick crust. For
the meat topping, the parlor offers a choice of bacon, pepperoni, sausage, or ground beef. For the veggie
topping, the choices are mushroom, onion, or green pepper. And for the cheese topping, one can choose from
mozzarella, provolone, blue cheese, or cream cheese. How many different kinds of pizza can be made?
Solution:

crust meat veggie cheese

2 4 3 4 = 96

Practice!
Try This #1!
A new restaurant offers a menu consisting of 3 appetizers, 3 soups, 5 salads, 7 main courses, and 4 desserts.
a. How many lunch meals consisting of 1 appetizer, 1 salad, and 1 main course are possible?
b. How many lunch meals consisting of 1 appetizer, 1 soup, 1 main course and 1 dessert are possible?

Example 4. On her way to a business trip to Canada, Lyah pack three pairs of shoes, five skirts, four pairs of
slacks, six blouses, three turtlenecks, and two jackets. If an outfit is defined as having a pair of shoes, lower
wear (either skirts or pants), upper wear ( a blouse or a turtleneck or both), and a jacket, how many different
outfits are possible?
Solution:
Shoes = 3, lower wear = 9 ( 5 skirts + 4 pants), upper wear = 27 ( 6 blouses + 3 turtlenecks + 6 • 3
blouses and turtle necks), jackets = 2
3 • 9 • 27 • 2 = 1, 458 different outfits

Explain the Fundamental of Principle of Counting in your own words.

C. CLOSURE
EVALUATION
Use the fundamental Counting Principle to determine the total number of outcomes possible. Show your
solutions.
1. If a girl packed 3 skirts, 10 skirts, and 2 pairs of shoes, how many outfits can she wear?

2. Five people run for president, 4 for vice president, and 5 for secretary. In how many ways can the 3 officers
be elected?
3. A car manufacturer sells 5 models of cars in 4 colors with either manual or automatic transmissions. How
many variations does the manufacture offer?

4. A pizza parlor offers personal, medium, and large pizzas, thin pan or stuffed crust, and a choice of 8 toppings.
How many possible one-topping pizzas are there?

5. In problem number 4, how many two-topping pizzas are available?

6. How many five-digit numbers can be formed using the digits 0,1,3,5,6,8, and 9 if the first digit cannot be 0 or
8 and the digit can repeat?

7. In problem number 8, how many five-digit numbers can be formed if the first digit must be 8, the last number
is odd, and the digits cannot repeat?

8. Iris loves to eat salad. How many salad can she make if she can pick one type of lettuce from 2 choices, two
vegetables from 4 choices and one dressing from 5 choices?