FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which term is used to describe the product of possible choices in a sequence?

1. Counting principle

2. Factorial

3. Probability

4. Statistics

The correct answer is: Counting principle

The term that accurately describes the product of possible choices in a sequence is the counting principle. This principle states that if there are multiple stages of choices to be made, the total number of ways to make these choices can be found by multiplying the number of options available at each stage. For example, if there are three stages where you have a different number of options at each stage (let's say 2 options in the first stage, 3 in the second, and 4 in the third), the total number of combinations is found by multiplying these together: 2 x 3 x 4, which equals 24 possible sequences. Factorial, on the other hand, is a specific mathematical function that calculates the product of all positive integers up to a given number. While it relates to counting arrangements, it is not exclusively about the product of choices in a sequence. Probability involves assessing the likelihood of a particular outcome occurring, which also does not fit the description of being the direct product of choices in a sequence. Statistics deals with collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data, which is related to understanding and summarizing information, but it does not specifically pertain to product calculations or sequences. Thus, the counting principle best encapsulates the