Nine people are entered in a race. If there are no ties, in how many ways can the first three places be awarded?

3

252

472

504

3 answers

How many choices for the first place? 9
How many choices for the second place? 8
(because there are only 8 people left after the first place)
How many choices for the third place? 7

How many ways altogether? use the multiplication rule.
504?
yep! That's correct!