The problem states that there are:

• 4 different types of ice cream,
• 3 different types of cones,
• 3 choices of toppings.

To find how many different ways an ice cream cone can be ordered, we multiply the number of choices for each category. This is because each combination of ice cream, cone, and topping is independent.

So, the total number of combinations is:

$4 \, (\text{ice cream types}) \times 3 \, (\text{cone types}) \times 3 \, (\text{toppings}) = 36$

Thus, there are 36 different ways an ice cream cone can be ordered.

Would you like further clarification or details on this solution?

Here are 5 related questions to explore further:

1. What if there were 5 types of ice cream instead of 4?
2. How many ways could you order an ice cream cone if you could choose 2 toppings instead of just 1?
3. What if one type of cone is unavailable? How many ways could you still order?
4. How would the solution change if no toppings were allowed?
5. Can you calculate the number of ways to order if two cones are identical?

Tip: When solving combination problems, think of multiplying the number of independent choices to get the total number of combinations.