Jordan is planning to buy a vehicle. He has the following choices.Type: sedan or SUVTransmission: 5-speed or automaticColor: red, blue, black, green, or silverTop: sunroof or no sunroof Jordan says that he has a total of 2 + 2 + 5 + 2, or 11, possible vehicle choices. What is Jordan’s error?
Answer
A
He should have multiplied the sum by 4.
B
He should have added only the choices for type and transmission.
C
He should have multiplied only the choices for type and transmission.
D
He should have multiplied the choices, instead of adding them.
Explanation
Jordan is choosing one option from each of four categories: type, transmission, color, and top. The fundamental counting principle says to multiply the number of choices in each category: 2 × 2 × 5 × 2 = 40 possible vehicles. Adding the choices counts separate options rather than combinations, so he should have multiplied the choices instead of adding them.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.