Permutations Leading to Combinations

Appropriate Level

Leaving Certificate Higher

Prior knowledge

 Factorial notation and its use

 Permutations à have previously completed A3 sheets in
groups doing permutations of AEIOU
 Fundamental Principle of Counting

Objectives of the lesson

 Connection between Permutations & Combinations
 Factorial form for Permutations & Combinations
 How to distinguish between Permutations & Combinations

Learning Outcomes

 Be able to deduce/derive general formula for nPr and nCr themselves

 Be able to use Formulae
 Ability to distinguish between Permutations & Combinations

New vocabulary

 Combinations
 Notation
 7 P3
 7C3
 Arrange
 Select / Choose

Resources

Large A3 sheets of paper for each pair of students

Starter
Use discovery learning and don’t tell them what is going to happen at the beginning.

© Wesley College Dublin 1

Student Learning Tasks: Student Activities: Possible Teacher’s Support and Checking Understanding
Teacher Input and Expected Responses Actions
Task 1 Groups should organise Students told that 7 Move around the classroom
themselves and decide on P3
Split into groups and give each means all arrangements of checking students’ progress.
group 1 x A3 sheet of blank paper. a logical approach to split
up the task A, B, C, D, E, F, G taking
Allocate 11 P’s - be aware that them 3 at a time Some students may need some
each is a very different size task 4
P2 means all
and consider this when allocating guidance if they are not making
arrangements of A, B, C, progress.
(Repeat if class numbers are bigger
D taking them 2 at a time.
than this.)
7
P3 6P3 5P3 4P3 3P3
7
P2 6P2 5P2 4P2 3P2 2P2
Students asked to write out all the
possible arrangements /
permutations. See Appendix A for
an example, but students should
not necessary be shown this.

Task 2 Some of the groups might If there are wrong answers Table filled out correctly and copied
Teacher fills in table as seen in have missed some then ask the class how into handout.
Appendix B of this document on permutations. many there should be for
whiteboard or projector by asking the particular box.
each group for their number of
permutations.
It should look like Appendix C
when finished.

Task 3 On completion of this task Were students able to complete the

Students told to go back to sheet - the teacher informs the task?

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Student Learning Tasks: Student Activities: Possible Teacher’s Support and Checking Understanding
Teacher Input and Expected Responses Actions
circle one arrangement and cross students that circled
out where those same letters are arrangements are now all
repeated. the possible Combinations.
Continue for all arrangements. See
appendix D.
Task 4 Groups make observations Are students capable of filling in
Fill in no of Combinations in table, from table table?
see Appendix E. Discuss observations as
class and links between.
Task 5 Board should now look
With guided discovery students like Appendix F (ii).
come to the conclusion in
n
Appendix F (i), that each P3 is
divided by 6 and then that 6 equals
n
3 factorial. Also that each P2 is
divided by 2 and then that 2 equals
2 factorial. See Appendix F (ii).

Task 6 Students suggest making 3

Students are asked how they would boxes and filling in how
calculate 7P3 using standard many possible ways you
arrangements calculation can fill each box.
technique.

Task 7 Students write 7 x 6 x 5 as

Students asked to write this in 7! and then work out what

© Wesley College Dublin 3

Student Learning Tasks:
Teacher Input
factorial notation.
Task 8
Students then guide teacher to fill
out rest of Ps in factorial form.
Task 9
Students asked to suggest a general
formula for nPr
Student Activities: Possible Teacher’s Support and Checking Understanding
and Expected Responses Actions
factorial they need to
divide by to keep the 210
result. See Appendix G.
Students come up with Have the students discovered that
n
P=
r

Task 10
By reminding the students what the
link between P and C was ask them
to write down the numerical
formula for each C. See Appendix
H.
Task 11 Students come up with Have the students discovered that
Then ask students to suggest a
n
general formula for nCr Cr =

© Wesley College Dublin 4

 4
Appendix A P3
ABC ABD BCD ACD

ACB ADB BDC ADC

BAC BAD CDB DAC

BCA BDA CBD DCA

CAB DAB DBC CAD

CBA DBA DCB CDA

Appendix B
Permutations/Combinations
© Wesley College Dublin 5
 No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs
7
P3 7
P2
6
P3 6
P2
5 5
P3 P2
4
P3 4
P2
3
P3 3
P2
2
P2
Appendix C

No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs

© Wesley College Dublin 6

 7
7
P3 210 P2 42
6
P3 120 6
P2 30
5
P3 60 5
P2 20
4
P3 24 4
P2 12
3
P3
6 3
P2
6
2
P2 2

Appendix D

© Wesley College Dublin 7

 Appendix E

No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs

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7
P3
210 35 7
P2 42 21
6
P3 120 20 6
P2 30 15
5
P3 60 10 5
P2 20 10
4
P3 24 4 4
P2 12 6
3
P3 6 1 3
P2 6 3
2
P2 2 1
Appendix F (i)

No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs

7
P3 210 35 7
P2 42 21
© Wesley College Dublin 9
6
P3 120 20 6
P2 30 15
5 5
P2
P3 60 10 20 10
4
P3 24 4 4
P2 12 6
3
P3 6 1 3
P2 6 3
2 1
2
P2
Appendix F (ii)

No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs

7
P3 210 35 7
P2 42 21
6
P3 120 20 6
P2 30 15
© Wesley College Dublin 10
5
43 3P
PP
33
423
P
P22
 5
P2
60 10 20 10
24 4 12 6
6 1 6 3
2 1

Appendix G

© Wesley College Dublin 11

 How to calculate 7 P3
Set out 3 boxes. Fill in number of possibilities into each.

What is this in factorial form?

Appendix H

No of Ps No of Cs No of Ps No of Cs

© Wesley College Dublin 12

7
P3 210 35 7
P2 42 21
6
P3 120 20 6
P2 30 15
5
P3 60 10 5
P2 20 10
4
4 24 4 P2 12 6
P3
6 1 3
P2 6 3
3
P3 2
P2
2 1

© Wesley College Dublin 13