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Mathematics
Quarter 3 – Module 4
Differentiating Permutation from
Combination of n Objects Taken r
at a Time and Solving Problems
Involving Permutation and
Combination
About the Module
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the skills in differentiating permutation from combination of n objects
taken r at a time and solving problems involving permutation and
combination. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different
learning situations. The language used recognizes your diverse vocabulary level as a
student. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. But
the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook
you are now using.

This module is divided into three lessons, namely:

Lesson 1 – Permutation vs Combination
Lesson 2 – Identifying Permutations and Combinations
Lesson 3 _ Solving Problems Involving Permutation and Combination

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. differentiate permutation from combination;
2. identify permutations and combinations; and
3. solve problems involving permutations and combinations.

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 What I Know (Pre-Test)
Instructions: Read each item carefully. Choose only the letter of the
correct answer and write it on a separate answer sheet.
1. It refers to the different possible arrangements of a set objects.
A. combination C. permutation
B. differentiation D. integration
2. Choosing a subset of a set is an example of a/an __________
A. combination C. integration
B. differentiation D. permutation
3. Which of the following situations or activities involve permutation?
A. matching shirts and pants
B. assigning telephone numbers to subscribers
C. forming a committee from the members of a club
D. forming different triangles out of 5 points on a plane, no three of which
are collinear
4. Which of the following situations does NOT illustrate combinations
A. Enumerating the subsets of a set
B. Selecting 2 songs from 10 choices for an audition piece
C. Identifying the lines formed by connecting some given points on a plane
D. Fixing the schedule of a group of students who must take exactly 8
subjects
5. Which of the following conditions involves combination?
I. arrangement of objects is immaterial
II. order is not important
III. arrangement of objects is in order
A. I & II C. I & III
B. II & III D. I, II & III
6. Which of the following situations or activities involve permutation?
A. selecting 5 classmates for a committee
B. awarding the top 3 contestants
C. drawing 3 cards from a deck of 52 cards
D. choosing 3 marbles from a box selecting 5 classmates for a committee
7. Which of the following situations or activities involve combination?
A. password of an FB account
B. pin number of an ATM card
C. selecting 3 toppings for pizza making
D. choosing president, vice-president, and a secretary
8. Find the number of distinguishable permutations of the letters of the word
QUARANTINE.
A. 144,120 B. 360, 245 C. 526, 940 D. 907, 200
9. What is P(8 , 5)
A. 56 B. 336 C. 1400 D. 6720
10. If C(n , r) = 35, which of the following are possible values of n and r
A. n = 6, r = 4 C. n = 8, r = 3
B. n = 7, r = 3 D. n = 9, r = 2
11. The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time.
𝑛! 𝑛!
A. (𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟!
,n≥r C. (𝑛−𝑟 )!
, n≥r
𝑛!
B. (n – 1)! D.
𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…

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12. The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time.
𝑛! 𝑛!
A. (𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟!
,n≥r C. (𝑛−𝑟 )!
, n≥r
𝑛!
B. (n – 1)! D. 𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
13. In how many ways can 8 people be seated around a circular table if two of them
insist on sitting beside each other
A. 360 B 720 C. 1440 D. 5040
14. If a combination lock must contain 5 different digits, in how many ways can a
code be formed from the digits 0 to 9?
A. 15, 120 B. 30 240 C. 151, 200 D. 1, 000, 000
15. Ms. De Leon wants to produce different sets of test questions for her essay test.
If she plans to do this by putting together 3 out of 5 questions she prepared,
how many different sets of questions could she construct
A. 10 B. 20 C. 60 D. 80

Lesson Permutation vs
1
Monday Combination
What I Need to Know
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• differentiate permutation from combination.

What’s In
Go and examine further permutation and combination. What is
Permutation How is it different from Combination Take a look at the
box below.

Set Permutation Combination

1. {1,2, } (1,2), (2,1) (1,2)

two different permutations one combination

2. {𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦 } (𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦)

(𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦, 𝐵𝑒𝑛 )
(𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦 ) (𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦)
(𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦, 𝐴𝑏𝑒 )
(𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦, 𝐴𝑏𝑒, 𝐵𝑒𝑛 )
(𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑦, 𝐵𝑒𝑛, 𝐴𝑏𝑒 )

six different permutations one combination of names

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 What’s New
Think Deeper

Permutation Order is important P(n, r) =

𝑛!
,n≥r
(𝑛−𝑟 )!

Words to look for in a

permutation
• President, V-Pres,
Secretary
• First place, second
place, third place
• Passwords
Combination Order is not important C(𝑛, 𝑟) =
𝑛!
,n≥r
(𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟!

Words to look for in a

combination
• Committee
• Choosing a team to
represent in a contest
• Drawing/selecting a
set of numbers
Different possible
Circular Permutation arrangements of objects P = (n – 1)!
in a circle
Distinguishable Permutations of a set of
Permutation objects where some of them P=
𝑛!
𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
are alike

What Is It
Permutation
Example 1: Evaluate P(7,3)
n = 7, r = 3
𝑛!
𝑃(𝑛. 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟 )! , n ≥ r
7!
= (7−3)!
7!
= 4!
7∙6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1
=
4∙3∙2∙1
= 7∙ 6 ∙ 5
= 210

Example 2: Ten runners join a race. In how many possible ways can
they be arranged as first, second, and third placers
n = 10, r = 3

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 10!
P(10,3) =
(10−3)!
10!
= 7!
10∙9∙8∙7∙6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1
= =
7∙6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1
= 10∙ 9 ∙ 8
= 720

Combination
Example 1: Evaluate C(4,4)
n = 4, r = 4
𝑛!
C(𝑛, 𝑟) = ,n≥r Remember
(𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟!
0! = 1
4!
= (4−4)!4!
1! = 1
4!
=
0!4!
4!
= 1∙4!
4!
= 4!
4∙3∙2∙1
= = 4∙3∙2∙1
=1
Example 2: In a 10-item mathematics problem-solving test, how many ways can you
select 5 problems to solve
n = 10, r = 5
𝑛!
C(𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟! , n ≥ r
10!
=
(10−5)!5!
10!
= 5!5!
10∙9∙8∙7∙6∙5!
= = 5!5!
30,240
= 120
= 252

Circular Permutation
Example: Find the number of different ways that a family of 6 can be
seated around a circular table with 6 chairs.
P = ( n - 1 )!
= (6 – 1 )!
= 5!
= 120

Distinguishable Permutation
Example: Find the number of permutations of the letters of the word
STATISTICS.
𝑛!
P = 𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
3 S’s, 3 T’s, and 2 I’s
n = 10 letters
10!
=
3!3!2!

3,628,800
= 6∙6∙2

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 3,628,800
= 72
= 50, 400

What’s More
Activity No. 1: Warm Up!
Solve the following completely. Show your solution on a separate sheet.
1. Evaluate P(5,5).
2. Find C(6,3).
3. In how many ways can 4 people be seated around a circular table
4. Find the number of distinguishable permutations of the digits of the
number 348 838.
5. In how many ways can a committee of 5 be formed from 5 juniors and 7
seniors if the committee must have 3 seniors

What I Need to Remember

Activity No. 2 : Match Me!

Match the terms in column A with its corresponding meaning in

Column B. Connect by drawing lines.
Column A Column B

Circular Permutation order matters

Permutation arrangements of objects in

a circle

Distinguishable Permutation the product of the positive

integer n and all the
positive integers less than
n.

Combination permutations of a set

objects where some of
them are alike

n – Factorial order does not matter

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 Lesson Identifying Permutations
2
Tuesday and Combinations
What I Need to Know
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• identify permutations and combinations.

What’s In
Did you ever wonder why most social media accounts are hacked
frequently Do you know that shorter passcodes are weak and longer codes are
stronger Did you know that there are actually many ways of arranging people
whether in picture taking or seating arrangement

Melvin M. Callanta et.al., Mathematics Learner’s Module (Philippines : Pasig City, 2015)

What’s New
Try to discover the many applications of permutations and combinations
in real-life. Try to answer the exercises below.

Tell whether the given situation or activity is a permutation or a combination.

1. Creating 4-digits passcode for an ATM
2. Selecting 7 people to form a Student Affairs Committee
3. Suppose that in a certain association, there 12 elected members of the
Board of Directors. In how many ways can a president, a vice president, a
secretary, and a treasurer be selected from the board
4. Drawing a set of 6 numbers in a lottery containing numbers 1 to 45
5. In how many different ways can you arrange 8 figurines on a shelf

What Is It
Permutation and Combination

For numbers 1,3, and 5, order and arrangement is important. Codes must come in
order. Password like ABCD is different from DCBA or any other arrangement of the
four letters. In Permutation, the order of elements is important.

On the other hand, the numbers 4 and 5, order is not important. The arrangement

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of the names of the group does not really affect the composition of the committee.
Student (A,B, C),(A,C,B),(C,A,B),(C,B,A),(B,A,C),and (B,C,A) are the same set of the
members of the committee. Likewise, when choosing 6 numbers in a lottery
containing numbers 1 to 45, the winning combination may come in any order. In
combination, order is not important.

What’s More
Activity No. 3. Try This!

Determine if the situation or activity is a permutation or a combination.

Use the decoder below for your answers.
1. Opening a combination lock
2. Choosing 5 questions to answer out of 10 questions in a test
3. Forming triangles from 6 distinct points in which no 3 points are collinear
4. Winning in a contest
5. Selecting posters to hang out of 6 different posters
6. Entering the PIN (Personal Identification Number) of your ATM card
7. Awarding of first place, second place, and third place in a contest
8. Listing the elements of subsets of a given set
9. First five players from a team of twelve players
10. Arranging 6 potted plants
11. Gold, silver, and bronze medalist in the Olympic contest
12. Four-digit code in a bicycle lock
13. Mixing 3 fruits out of 5 different fruits to make a fruit juice

“It is an area of Mathematics primarily concerned with counting and arranging”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Decoder

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Permutation C E D B M N A E D R I C B
Combination A O M S I T S T O Q P O S

What I Need to Remember

Write in 3-5 sentences some valuable lesson/s learned from this topic.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

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 Lesson Solving Problems Involving
3 Permutation and
Wednesday
Combination

What I Need to Know

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• solve problems involving permutation and combination.

What’s In
Consider students A, B, and C.

Student (A,B,C),(A,C,B),(C,A,B),(C,B,A),(B,A,C),and (B,C,A) are all different

arrangements. The six different arrangements is called permutation.

Student (A,B,C),(A,C,B),(C,A,B),(C,B,A),(B,A,C),and (B,C,A) are all different

arrangements. It is composed of the same students, therefore, this suggests
only one combination.

What’s New

Lesson 2 of this module is all about identifying permutation and combination. I am

assuming that most of you diligently have gone through the lessons. That makes you
ready for solving problems. To decide if it is a permutation or a combination, check
if rearranging the set of objects makes a difference. If yes, use permutation. If not,
use combinations.

What Is It
Sample Problems
1. In how many ways can 5 people arrange themselves in a row for picture
taking (This one is permutation. Every arrangement counts.)
𝑛!
P(n , r) = ,n≥r
(𝑛−𝑟 )!
n = 5, r = 5
5!
P(5,5) = !
(5−5)!
= 5∙ 4 ∙ 3 ∙ 2 ∙ 1
= 5!
= 120

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2. A soloist is auditioning for a musical play. If she is required to sing any 3
of the 7 prepared songs, in how many ways can she make her choice
(She can choose any of the songs she has prepared. The order is not
important. This is a combination)
𝑛!
C(𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟! , n ≥ r

n = 7, r = 3
7!
C(7,3) = (7−3)!3!
7!
= 4!3!

7∙6∙5∙4!
=
4!3!

7∙6∙5
= 3!

210
= 6
= 35

3. In how many ways can a family of 4 seat themselves in a circular table

(circular permutation)
P = (n-1)!
P = (4-1)!
P = 3! = 3∙ 2 ∙ 1
P=6

4. How many distinguishable permutations are there for the letters of the
word GUADALUPE taken all together? (Distinguishable permutations)
2 U’s, 2 A’s
𝑛!
P=
𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
9!
= 2!2!
9∙8∙7∙6∙5∙4∙3∙2!
= 2!2!
181440
= 2
= 90,720

5. How many polygons can be possibly formed from 6 distinct points on a

plane, no three of which are collinear?
6! 6! 6! 6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1
With 6 points C(6,6) = (6−6)!6! = 0!6! = 6! = 6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1 = 1 polygon
6! 6! 6! 6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1
With 5 points C(6,5) = (6−5)!5!
= 1!5!
= 5!
= 5∙4∙3∙2∙1 = 6 polygons
6! 6! 6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1 30
With 4 points C(6,4) = (6−4)!4!
= 2!4!
= 2∙1∙4∙3∙2∙1
= 2 = 15 polygons
6! 6! 6∙5∙4∙3∙2∙1 120
With 3 points C(6,3) = (6−3)!3!
= 3!3!
= 3∙2∙1∙3∙2∙1
= 6 = 20 polygons

N = 42 polygons

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 What’s More
Activity No. 4. Permutation or Combination?

1. An engineer needs 5 carpenters. Ten qualified carpenters applied for the

job. In how many ways can an engineer make his selection

2. There are 12 contestants in a race. In how many ways can the top 3 be
ordered

3. If there are 7 distinct points on a plane with no three of which are collinear,
how many different polygons can be possibly formed

What I Need to Remember

Write in 3-5 sentences some valuable lesson/s learned from this topic.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Problem Solving
(Performance Task)
Thursday

What I can do
Activity No. 5
Give two examples(one for permutation and one for combination) of
situations in real life that illustrates permutation and combination. In each
situation,
1. formulate a problem.
2. solve the problem.
3. explain how this particular problem may help you in formulating
conclusions and/or making decisions.

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 Rubric on Problems Formulated and Solved
Score Descriptors
25 Poses a more complex problem with correct solutions and
communicates ideas unmistakably, shows in-depth comprehension of
the pertinent concepts and/or processes, and provides explanations
wherever appropriate.
20 Poses a more complex problem and finishes all significant parts of the
solution and communicates ideas unmistakably, shows in-depth
comprehension of the pertinent concepts and/or processes.
15 Poses a more complex problem and finishes most significant parts of
the solution and communicates ideas unmistakably, shows
comprehension of major concepts although neglectsor misinterprets
less significant ideas or details.
10 Poses a problem and finishes some significant parts of the solution and
communicates ideas unmistakably but shows gaps on theoretical
comprehension.
5 Poses a problem but demonstrate minor comprehension, not being able
to develop an approach.
Use short bondpaper or one whole intermediate pad for this Performance Task.

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 Friday Assessment

Assessment (Post Test)

Instructions: Read each item carefully. Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. Which of the following situations o activities involve permutation?

A. matching shirts and pants
B. assigning telephone numbers to subscribers
C. forming a committee from the members of a club
D. forming different triangles out of 5 points on a plane, no three of which
are collinear
2. Which of the following situations or activities involve permutation?
A. selecting 5 classmates for a committee
B. awarding the top 3 contestants
C. drawing 3 cards from a deck of 52 cards
D. choosing 3 marbles from a box selecting 5 classmates for a committee
3. In how many ways can 8 people be seated around a circular table if two of them
insist on sitting beside each other
A. 360 B 720 C. 1440 D. 5040
4. Choosing a subset of a set is an example of __________
A. combination C. integration
B. differentiation D. permutation
5. The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time.
𝑛! 𝑛!
A. ,n≥r C. , n≥r
(𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟! (𝑛−𝑟 )!
𝑛!
B. (n – 1)! D. 𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
6. Which of the following situations does NOT illustrate combinations
A. Enumerating the subsets of a set
B. Selecting 2 songs from 10 choices for an audition piece
C. Identifying the lines formed by connecting some given points on a plane
D. Fixing the schedule of a group of students who must take exactly 8
subjects
7. It refers to the different possible arrangements of a set objects.
A. combination C. permutation
B. differentiation D. integration
8. Which of the following conditions involves combination?
I. arrangement of objects are immaterial
II. order is not important
III. arrangement of objects are in order
A. I & II C. I & III
B. II & III D. I, II & III
9. Find the number of distinguishable permutations of the letters of the word
QUARANTINE.
A. 144,120 B. 360, 245 C. 526, 940 D. 907, 200

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10. What is P(8 , 5)
A. 56 B. 336 C. 1400 D. 6720
11. If C(n , r) = 35, which of the following are possible values of n and r
A. n = 6, r = 4 C. n = 8, r = 3
B. n = 7, r = 3 D. n = 9, r = 2
12. Which of the following situations or activities involve combination?
A. password of an FB account
B. pin number of an ATM card
C. selecting 3 toppings for pizza making
D. choosing president, vice-president, and a secretary
13. The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time.
𝑛! 𝑛!
A. (𝑛−𝑟 )!𝑟!
,n≥r C. (𝑛−𝑟 )!
, n≥r
𝑛!
B. (n – 1)! D. 𝑝!𝑞!𝑟!…
14. Ms. De Leon wants to produce different sets of test questions for her essay test.
If she plans to do this by putting together 3 out of 5 questions she prepared,
how many different sets of questions could she construct
A. 10 B. 20 C. 60 D. 80
15. If a combination lock must contain 5 different digits, in how many ways can a
code be formed from the digits 0 to 9?
A. 15, 120 B. 30 240 C. 151, 200 D. 1, 000, 000

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 14
References
Activity 1
1. 120
2. 20
3. 6
4. 60
5. 350
Activity 3 Activity 4
1. C 1. 252
2. O 2. 1320
3. M 3. 99 POLYGONS
4. B
5. I
6. N
7. A
8. T
9. O
10. R Activity 5
11. I What I Can Do (Performance Task)
12. C Answers may vary
13. S
required.
Remember: This portion of the module contains all the answers. Your HONESTY is
Answer Key
Books
Melvin M. Callanta et.al., Mathematics Learner’s Module (Philippines : Pasig
City, 2015).
Hazel L. Arong, Workbook in Mathematics 10 (Philippines: Danao City, 2019).
Tom N. Chu, Mathematics for the 21st Century Learner 10 (Philippines:
Makati City,2015).
Websites
https://mathworld.wolfram.com/
https://www.math.uga.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/10.pdf
https://www.ck12.org/geometry/properties-and-proofs/lesson/Two-
Column-Proofs
Picture in lesson 2
Melvin M. Callanta et.al., Mathematics Learner’s Module (Philippines : Pasig
City, 2015).

Congratulations!
You are now ready for the next module. Always remember the following:

1. Make sure every answer sheet has your

▪ Name
▪ Grade and Section
▪ Title of the Activity or Activity No.
2. Follow the date of submission of answer sheets as agreed with your
teacher.
3. Keep the modules with you and return them at the end of the school year
or whenever face-to-face interaction is permitted.

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