ACT Math · Probability and counting

A committee of 2 men and 2 women is to be chosen from a group of 5 men and 6 women. How many different committees are possible?

A committee of 2 men and 2 women is to be chosen from a group of 5 men and 6 women. How many different committees are possible?

Answer and explanation

Answer: H: 150

Choose the men and the women separately, then multiply. The number of ways to pick 22 of the 55 men is (52)=10\binom{5}{2}=10, and the number of ways to pick 22 of the 66 women is (62)=15\binom{6}{2}=15. The total is 10⋅15=15010\cdot15=150, choice H. Choice G (3030) multiplies only one of the combinations by something unrelated. Choice F (2020) is 5⋅45\cdot4, a permutation of the men. Choice J (330330) is (114)\binom{11}{4}, the number of ways to choose 44 people with no restriction on gender. The committee must have exactly two of each, so the separate counts multiply.

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