I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to account for the two daughters not being able to sit next to each other. Any ideas?
A family consisting of one mother, one father, two daughters and a son is taking a road trip in a sedan. The sedan has two front seats and three back seats. If one of the parents must drive and the two daughters refuse to sit next to each other, how many possible seating arrangements are there?
28
32
48
60
120
How many possible seating arrangements?
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- smackmartine
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IMO B
Let P --> Parents, G--> daughter and B -->Son
Case 1 when Both Parents are seating in front and kids at the back such that both daughters don't sit next to eachother
Front---> PP ---->2! ways (Driver's seat can be shared by any mom and dad so 2 ways)
Back---->GBG ---> 2! (girls can switch sides so 2 ways)
Total 2*2 = 4 ways
Case 2 when the son is in the front seat and one of the parents at the middle back seat
Front --> PB ---> 2! ways (Driver's seat can be shared by any mom and dad so 2 ways)
Back--> GPG ---> 2! (girls can switch sides so 2 ways)
Total 2*2 = 4 ways
Case 3 when one of the Girls is in the front seat
Front --> PG --> 2*2 =4 ways (parents and girls can switch their seats)
Back --> GPB--> 3! = 6 ways
Total 4*6 = 24 ways
Combining all three cases 4+4+24 = 32 ways
Let P --> Parents, G--> daughter and B -->Son
Case 1 when Both Parents are seating in front and kids at the back such that both daughters don't sit next to eachother
Front---> PP ---->2! ways (Driver's seat can be shared by any mom and dad so 2 ways)
Back---->GBG ---> 2! (girls can switch sides so 2 ways)
Total 2*2 = 4 ways
Case 2 when the son is in the front seat and one of the parents at the middle back seat
Front --> PB ---> 2! ways (Driver's seat can be shared by any mom and dad so 2 ways)
Back--> GPG ---> 2! (girls can switch sides so 2 ways)
Total 2*2 = 4 ways
Case 3 when one of the Girls is in the front seat
Front --> PG --> 2*2 =4 ways (parents and girls can switch their seats)
Back --> GPB--> 3! = 6 ways
Total 4*6 = 24 ways
Combining all three cases 4+4+24 = 32 ways