Question

There are 8 athletes at a track meet. How many different ways can they finish first or second?

Answer 1

There are two positions available: first and second. The first position can be filled by any of the 8 athletes. Once the first position is filled, there are 7 athletes remaining for the second position. Therefore, there are 8 x 7 = 56 different ways for the athletes to finish first or second.