Chapter 11: Problem 11
Evaluate. $$(8-3) !$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
120
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Problem
The expression asks to evaluate \( (8-3)! \). First, determine what is inside the parentheses.
02
Calculate the Value Inside the Parentheses
Subtract 3 from 8: \( 8 - 3 = 5 \). So, \( (8 - 3) = 5 \).
03
Evaluate the Factorial
Now, find the factorial of 5, which is denoted as \( 5! \). The factorial of a number \( n \) is the product of all positive integers from 1 to \( n \). Hence, \( 5! = 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 \).
04
Multiply the Numbers
Calculate the product step-by-step: \( 5 \times 4 = 20 \, 20 \times 3 = 60 \, 60 \times 2 = 120 \, 120 \times 1 = 120 \). Therefore, \( 5! = 120 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Factorial
A factorial, represented by an exclamation mark (!), is a mathematical operation that multiplies a sequence of descending positive integers. To find the factorial of a number \( n \), written as \( n! \), you multiply all whole numbers from \( n \) down to 1. For example, if \( n \) is 5, then the factorial is calculated as: \[ 5! = 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 120 \] Factorials are useful in permutations and combinations, which are topics in probability and statistics. Understanding how to calculate a factorial is essential for solving more complex mathematical problems, such as those found in algebra and calculus.
Order of Operations
Order of operations is a set of rules used to determine the order in which different operations in a mathematical expression are carried out. It ensures that everyone solves the problem the same way to get a consistent result. The common acronym used to remember the order is PEMDAS:
- **P**arentheses first
- **E**xponents (i.e., powers and square roots, etc.)
- **M**ultiplication and **D**ivision (left-to-right)
- **A**ddition and **S**ubtraction (left-to-right)
Basic Arithmetic
Basic arithmetic forms the foundation of all mathematical concepts. It includes four primary operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In the exercise, subtraction was the first arithmetic operation performed. We calculated \[ 8 - 3 = 5 \] This simplified our problem to finding the factorial of 5, which then required multiplication:
- Multiply 5 by 4 to get 20
- Multiply 20 by 3 to get 60
- Multiply 60 by 2 to get 120
- Multiply 120 by 1 to confirm 120