A certain restaurant offers 8 different salads, 5 different main courses, 6 different desserts. If customers choose one salad, one main course and two different desserts for their meal, how many different meals are possible?
A. 120
B. 240
C. 480
D. 600
E. 1200
OA D
Source: Magoosh
A certain restaurant offers 8 different salads, 5 different main courses, 6 different desserts. If customers choose one
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Take the task of creating a meal and break it into stages.BTGmoderatorDC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 6:47 pmA certain restaurant offers 8 different salads, 5 different main courses, 6 different desserts. If customers choose one salad, one main course and two different desserts for their meal, how many different meals are possible?
A. 120
B. 240
C. 480
D. 600
E. 1200
OA D
Source: Magoosh
Stage 1: Select 1 salad
There are 8 different salads from which to choose, so we can complete stage 1 in 8 ways
Stage 2: Select 1 main course
There are 5 different main courses from which to choose, so we can complete stage 2 in 5 ways
Stage 3: Select 2 different desserts
Since the order in which we select the desserts does not matter, we can use combinations.
We can select 2 desserts from 6 desserts in 6C2 ways (15 ways)
So, we can complete stage 3 in 15 ways
By the Fundamental Counting Principle (FCP), we can complete all 3 stages (and thus create a meal) in (8)(5)(15) ways (= 600 ways)
Answer: D
Note: the FCP can be used to solve the MAJORITY of counting questions on the GMAT. For more information about the FCP, watch this video: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... /video/775
You can also watch a demonstration of the FCP in action: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat ... /video/776
Then you can try solving the following questions:
EASY
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/what-should- ... 67256.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/counting-pro ... 44302.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/picking-a-5- ... 73110.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/permutation- ... 57412.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/simple-one-t270061.html
MEDIUM
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/combinatoric ... 73194.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/arabian-hors ... 50703.html
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- https://www.beatthegmat.com/combinatoric ... 73180.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/digits-numbers-t270127.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/doubt-on-sep ... 71047.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/combinatoric ... 67079.html
DIFFICULT
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/wonderful-p- ... 71001.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/permutation- ... 73915.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/permutation-t122873.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/no-two-ladie ... 75661.html
- https://www.beatthegmat.com/combinations-t123249.html
Cheers,
Brent
Let's see,BTGmoderatorDC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 6:47 pmA certain restaurant offers 8 different salads, 5 different main courses, 6 different desserts. If customers choose one salad, one main course and two different desserts for their meal, how many different meals are possible?
A. 120
B. 240
C. 480
D. 600
E. 1200
OA D
Source: Magoosh
Salad can be chosen in 8C1 ways
Main Course can be chosen in 5C1 ways
Desserts can be chosen in 6C2 ways
Therefore, answer will be product which is as follows
\(8C1\ast 5C1 \ast 6C2 = 8 \ast 5 \ast 15 = 600\)
Hence, D