UPSC Prelims 2008·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

A schoolteacher has to select the maximum possible number of different groups of 3 students out of a total of 6 students. In how many groups any particular student will be included?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A6
  2. B8
  3. C10Correct
  4. D12

Explanation

To find the total number of ways to select 3 students out of 6, we use the combination formula 6C3, which equals 20 total groups. To find how many of these groups include a specific student, we must assume that one particular student is already selected and stays in the group. This leaves us with the task of choosing the remaining 2 students from the 5 students left. The number of ways to choose 2 students out of 5 is calculated as 5C2. 5C2 equals (5 multiplied by 4) divided by (2 multiplied by 1), which equals 10. Therefore, any particular student will be included in 10 different groups. The correct option is C.
science-and-technology: A schoolteacher has to select the maximum possible number of different groups of 3 students out of a total of 6 students

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