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How many ways are there to put 5 b***s in 2 boxes if the b***s are distinguishable but the boxes are not?

 May 8, 2016
 #1
avatar+118723 
0

Why did you ask under your username awsomeee? 

 

the only difference is how many b***s are in each box.

0,5

1,4

2,3

3,2

4,1

5,0

 

That is 6 ways.

 May 8, 2016
 #2
avatar+130516 
0

I'm assuming here that we can have an empty box.....since the boxes are indistinguishable, n b***s in the first box and 5-n  b***s in the second box is the same as 5-n in the first and n in the second.

 

So

 

Choose 5 b***s in the first box and none in the second  = 1 way to do this

Choose 4 of 5 b***s to go in one box and the remaining one in the second   =  C(5,4)  = 5 ways

Choose 3 of 5 b***s to go in one box and the remaining two in the second  = C(5,3)  = 10 ways

 

So........1 + 5 + 10   =  16 ways

 

To see the logic of this........suppose that the boxes are identifiable.....then, we have 25 ways to distribute the b***s since each ball can go into one of two boxes. But, if the boxes are idistinguishable, the order doesn't matter so the total ways =  25 / 2!   =  32/2 =  16

 

 

cool cool cool

 May 8, 2016

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