A bucket contains 11 letters....

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves combinatorial counting related to forming 7-letter words from a set of 11 letters, specifically 5 vowels and 6 consonants, with the requirement of using 3 vowels and 4 consonants.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the original poster's combinatorial approach and question its validity. Some express agreement with the initial calculation, while others inquire about the rules governing word construction, such as the order of letters and whether specific patterns are required.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem and questioning the assumptions regarding word formation rules. There is no explicit consensus on the correct approach or interpretation of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the potential need for clarification on the rules of word construction, including whether any combination of vowels and consonants is acceptable or if specific patterns must be followed.

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A bucket contains 11 letters: 5 vowels and 6 consonants.
How many 7 letter words can you make if you use 3 vowels and 4 consonants?

I think the ans should be 5C3x6C4x7!
but they say this is wrong at college.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you
Mentor note: Changed thread title to agree with problem statement.
 
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What is the answer supposed to be? If you've stated the problem correctly then I agree with your answer.
 
Are there any rules about word construction? Can it be any 3 vowels and any 4 consonants in any order? Does it have to be CVCVCVC? Etc.
 
mjc123 said:
Are there any rules about word construction? Can it be any 3 vowels and any 4 consonants in any order? Does it have to be CVCVCVC? Etc.
But that would require a dictionary search, specification of the language, etc. I can't believe that the question was meant to require such things.
 
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