Answers>Maths>IB>Article

Three girls and four boys are seated randomly on a straight bench. Find the probability that the girls sit together and the boys sit together.

There is a total of 7! possible ways in which the seven children can be seated on the bench. The number of favourable arrangements when four boys are seated on one side and three girls on the other side is 4! * 3! as the boys can be sitting in any order, and so can the girls. We need to multiply this number by 2, because the boys and girls could be seated on either side of the bench, giving us twice as many possibilites. The probability is calculated as the ratio between the number of favourable arrangements and the total number of arrangements, giving us P = (4! * 3! * 2)/(7!) = (3! * 2)/(567) = (322)/(235*7) = 2/35.

Answered by Maths tutor

2272 Views

See similar Maths IB tutors

Related Maths IB answers

All answers ▸

In a lottery, 6 numbered balls are drawn from a pool of 59. Calculate the probability of scoring a jackpot. There used to be 49 balls in the pool. Calculate by how much the addition of 10 balls has decreased the probability of scoring a jackpot


Find the first and second order derivative of the function, F(x)= 3x^3 - 7 + 5x^2, and then identify the maximum or minimum points.


dy/dx = 10exp(2x) - 4; when x = 0, y = 6. Find the value of y when x = 2.


Consider the arithmetic sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, ... a) Find U101 b) Find the value of n so that Un = 152


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning