A student is creating a flag design consisting of 3 vertical stripes in a row. The student can choose from 5 different colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and White. To ensure visual contrast, any 2 adjacent stripes must be different colors. How many different flag designs can be created under these rules?
Answer: 80 flag designs
Answer
80
To find the total number of flag designs, apply the Fundamental Counting Principle across the three sequential stripe choices. The first stripe can be any of the 5 colors. The second stripe cannot match the first stripe's color, leaving 4 options. The third stripe cannot match the second stripe's color, which also leaves 4 options (since it can re-use the first stripe's color). Multiplying these choices together gives unique flag designs.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Fundamental Counting Principle with adjacent restrictions
Estimated Time:1m 15s