krbharat wrote:I'm eating breakfast. There are 3 types of cereal, 2 types of eggs, and 5 different juices. If I don't have to eat anything and I can eat as many types of food as I want (but not 2 of the same type), how many different breakfasts can I make?
1)48
2)72
3)30
4)10
5)96
Since it is mentioned that
'I dont have to eat anything' hence option of not eating anything is also valid..
so number of ways a cereal can be selected=3+1 (either cereal A, B, C or none)
similarly number of ways egg can be selected=2+1
Juice = 5+1
hence, different breakfast combination = No. of possibilities for cereals * egg * juice = 4 * 3 * 6 = 72
now
other variants to same problem:
if the question was that at least you have to eat something..
then solution would have been = 4 * 3 * 6 - 1 (case when u are not taking cereal AND egg AND Juice) = 71
other variant: if you have to include one of each type compulsorily:
so number of ways a cereal can be selected=3 (either cereal A, B or C)
similarly number of ways egg can be selected=2
Juice = 5
hence, different breakfast combination = No. of possibilities for cereals * egg * juice = 3*2*5= 30
and that is the reason that 30 is an option choice for this question (to confuse

)