Math Problem Statement

To log on to a certain computer account, the user must type in a 5-letter password. In such a password, no letter may be repeated, and only the lower case of a letter may be used. How many such 5-letter passwords are possible? (There are 26 letters in the alphabet.)

Solution

To calculate how many possible 5-letter passwords can be created using the given constraints (no repeated letters, and only lowercase letters), we can approach the problem step by step.

Step-by-Step Calculation:

  1. Number of Choices for the First Letter:

    • Since the password must be a 5-letter combination with no repetitions, for the first letter, there are 26 possible choices (since there are 26 letters in the alphabet).
  2. Number of Choices for the Second Letter:

    • The second letter must be different from the first, so there are now 25 remaining choices.
  3. Number of Choices for the Third Letter:

    • The third letter must be different from the first two letters, leaving us with 24 choices.
  4. Number of Choices for the Fourth Letter:

    • The fourth letter must be different from the first three letters, giving us 23 choices.
  5. Number of Choices for the Fifth Letter:

    • Finally, the fifth letter must be different from the first four letters, so there are 22 choices left.

Total Number of Passwords:

To find the total number of possible passwords, we multiply the number of choices for each letter:

26×25×24×23×22=7,893,60026 \times 25 \times 24 \times 23 \times 22 = 7,893,600

Thus, the total number of 5-letter passwords is:

7,893,600\boxed{7,893,600}

Would you like further details or have any questions about this process?

Here are 5 related questions for further exploration:

  1. How would the calculation change if uppercase letters were also allowed?
  2. How many 4-letter passwords could be created under the same conditions?
  3. What is the probability of randomly guessing the correct password on the first try?
  4. How many passwords can be created if repetition of letters is allowed?
  5. How would the result change if only vowels were used for the password?

Tip: When dealing with permutations (like this case with no repetition), remember to reduce the number of choices for each subsequent selection!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Combinatorics
Permutations

Formulas

n! / (n - r)!
Multiplication rule of counting

Theorems

Permutation without repetition

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10