Lesson

Counting Methods and

1 Techniques in an Experiment

Begin this module by assessing what you have learned on illustrating an

experiment, outcome, sample space and event that will help you in counting the
number of occurrences in an experiment.

What’s In

Activity: Everything in My Space

Directions: Describe the sample space of each experiment. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

Experiment Sample Space

1. Rolling a die and tossing a coin once simultaneously __________________

2. Tossing three coins __________________

3. Drawing a prime number from the first 10 natural numbers _______________

4. Getting an odd number in a single roll of die __________________

5. Getting a sum of 5 when two dice are rolled once ___________________

Questions

1. How did you find the sample space of each experiment?

2. Are there other ways of organizing all possible outcomes to describe a sample
space? What are these?

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 What’s New

Activity: How many are we?

Directions: A pair of dice is rolled once. Observe how the possible outcomes are
presented and answer the questions below.
Faces of
1 2 3 4 5 6
a Die
1 (1,1) (1,2) (1,3) (1,4) (1,5) (1,6)
2 (2,1) (2,2) (2,3) (2,4) (2,5) (2,6)
3 (3,1) (3,2) (3,3) (3,4) (3,5) (3,6)
4 (4,1) (4,2) (4,3) (4,4) (4,5) (4,6)
5 (5,1) (5,2) (5,3) (5,4) (5,5) (5,6)
6 (6,1) (6,2) (6,3) (6,4) (6,5) (6,6)

Questions:

1. What experiment is illustrated in the activity?

2. What are the outcomes of the activity?
3. How many outcomes are there?
4. What do we call the set containing all possile outcomes of the
experiment?
5. Is it important to count all the possible outcomes in an experiment?
Why?

What is It

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 In this lesson, we will study on how to count all possible outcomes of an
experiment.

Let us consider first the two equally important concepts, the counting
methods, and the counting techniques. Counting methods are particular ways of
doing something like making decisions and predicting outcomes while counting
techniques are the ability to apply a particular task skillfully.

When a set of objects is small, it is easy to list all the objects and count them
one by one. When the set is too large, and when the objects can be arranged
systematically, there are some useful techniques for counting the objects without
actually listing them. Let us examine the examples below and see how the different
methods or counting techniques are used in different situations.

A. Tabular Method
This method uses columns and rows where to enter all possible outcomes of
an experiment.

Example 1:
In a debate contest, the participants are divided into two groups so that members
of Group 1 will be paired with members of Group 2. The members of Group 1 are
Elena, Estela, Felisa, and Mae while the members of Group 2 are Mark, Red, and
Sam. The number of possible pairings is shown in the table below.
Elena Estela Felisa Mae
Mark (Mark, Elena) (Mark, Estela) (Mark, Felisa) (Mark, Mae)
Red (Red, Elena) (Red, Estela) (Red, Felisa) (Red, Mae)
Sam (Sam, Elena) (Sam, Estela) (Sam, Felisa) (Sam, Mae)

Example 2.
Maria always brings with her a handkerchief and a face mask whenever she
goes out for an errand. If she has five handkerchiefs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and four face
masks (blue, green, yellow, red), in how many ways can she pair her handkerchiefs
to her face masks? Observe how it is done using a table.
1 2 3 4 5
Blue (Blue,1) (Blue,2) (Blue,3) (Blue,4) (Blue,5)
Green (Green,1) (Green,2) (Green,3) (Green,4) (Green,5)
Yellow (Yellow,1) (Yellow,2) (Yellow,3) (Yellow,4) (Yellow,5)
Red (Red,1) (Red,2) (Red,3) (Red,4) (Red,5)

Example 3.

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 Euri has 5 pairs of socks (A, B, C, D, E) and 2 pairs of shoes (1, 2) which he
uses when he goes to church. How many ways can he use his pairs of socks and
shoes? This is how it is done using a table.
Shoes\Socks A B C D E
1 (1,A) (1,B) (1,C) (1,D) (1,E)
2 (2,A) (2,B) (2,C) (2,D) (2,E)

B. Tree Diagram
It is a diagram used to show all the possible outcomes in a probability
experiment. It consists of line segments coming from a starting point to the
outcome point. All possible outcomes are visually represented by the branches.

Example 4. In tossing a coin twice, how many possible outcomes are there?

The tree diagram below shows the possible outcomes when a coin is tossed
two times.

1st Toss 2nd Toss Outcomes

Head Head, Head
Head
Tail Head, Tail

Head Tail, Head

Tail
Tail Tail, Tail

Coin

Example 5. In rolling a die once and tossing a coin once, how many possible
outcomes are there in all?
When a die is rolled once and a coin is tossed once, the number of outcomes
can be counted using a tree diagram.

Outcomes Outcomes of a die of a coin Possible

Outcomes

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 Head 1, Head
1
Tail 1, Tail
Head 2, Head
2
Tail 2, Tail
Head 3, Head
3 Tail 3, Tail
Head 4, Head
Tail 4, Tail
4
Head 5, Head
Tail 5, Tail
5
Head 6, Head
Tail 6, Tail
6

The tree diagram shows that there are 12 possible outcomes when a die is
rolled once, and a coin is tossed once. With tree diagram, counting of all possible
outcomes is easy. But this tree diagram is not practical to use if there are more
events involved and there is a higher number of outcomes in every event in the
experiment. Example 6.
Erwin is a lifestyle and food vlogger. Whenever he goes for work to create
content for his channel, he will always bring with him a pair of spoon and fork.
Erwin has 4 spoons (1, 2, 3, 4) and 3 forks (A, B, C). The number of possible ways
Erwin will bring his pair of spoon and fork whenever he works can be shown in a
tree diagram.

spoons
forks outcomes
A 1, A
1 B 1, B
1,
C C
A 2, A
2 B 2, B
2,
C C
A 3, A
3 B 3, B
3,
C C
A 4, A
4 B 4, B
4,
C C

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C. Systematic Listing
It is a method of determining the number of outcomes of an experiment by
enumerating or making a list of all possible outcomes. This method, if not carefully
and systematically done, there is a possibility that some possible outcomes are
missed or left out.

Example 7.

In tossing a coin three times, how many possible outcomes are there?

The number of outcomes can be determined by systematic listing such as

HHH, HHT, HTH, HTT, THH, THT, TTH, TTT. This gives us 8 possible outcomes in
tossing a coin three times.

Example 8.

Four students Elsa, Vicky, Easther, and Juliem went to attend a Holy Mass.
When they reached the church, there were only three seats available. In how many
ways can the four students be seated? using systematic listing? Observe how it is
done.
S = { (Elsa, Vicky, Easther), (Elsa, Vicky, Juliem), (Elsa, Easther, Vicky), (Elsa,
Easther, Juliem), (Elsa, Juliem, Vicky), (Elsa, Juliem, Easther), (Vicky, Easther
Juliem), (Vicky, Easther, Elsa), (Vicky, Elsa, Easther), (Vicky, Elsa, Juliem), (Vicky,
Juliem, Elsa), (Vicky, Juliem, Easther), (Easther, Elsa, Vicky), (Easther, Elsa,
Juliem), (Easther, Vicky, Elsa), (Easther, Vicky, Juliem), (Easther, Juliem, Elsa),
(Easther, Juliem, Vicky), (Juliem, Elsa, Vicky), (Juliem, Elsa, Easther), (Juliem,
Vicky, Elsa), (Juliem, Vicky, Easther), (Juliem, Easther, Elsa), (Juliem, Easther,
Vicky) }

There are 24 ways for the four students to be seated three at a time.

Example 9.
In how many ways will a 5-item true or false test be answered?
Solution:
The number of ways of answering the 5-item true or false test can be
determined by systematic listing. Observe the pattern in listing the possible
answers to the 5 items. Let T represent true a true item and F represent a false
item. (T,T,T,T,T), (T,T,T,T,F), (T,T,T,F,T), (T,T,F,T,T), (T,F,T,T,T), (F,T,T,T,T),
(T,T,T,F,F), (T,T,F,T,F), (T,F,T,T,F), (F,T,T,T,F), (T,T,F,F,T), (T,F,F,T,T), (F,F,T,T,T),
(F,T,T,F,T), (F,T,F,T,T), (T,F,T,F,T), (T,T,F,F,F), (T,F,T,F,F), (T,F,F,T,F), (T,F,F,F,T),
(F,F,T,T,F), (F,F,T,F,T), (F,T,T,F,F), (F,T,F,T,F), (F,T,F,F,T), (F,F,F,T,T), (T,F,F,F,F),
(F,T,F,F,F), (F,F,T,F,F), (F,F,F,T,F), (F,F,F,F,T), (F,F,F,F,F)

D. Fundamental Counting Technique

The fundamental counting principle is a technique of finding the number of
possible outcomes of an experiment without listing. We can find the total number of
ways that two or more separate tasks can happen by multiplying the numbers of
ways each task can happen separately.

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 Fundamental Counting Principle (Product Rule)

If one event can occur in m ways, a second event can occur in n ways, and a third event
can occur in p ways, and so on, then the sequence of events can occur in m x n x p x …
ways. This is known as the product rule or rule of product.

Example 10
How many possible outcomes are there if a die is rolled once and a coin is
tossed once?
The event rolling a die once has six possible outcomes while the event
tossing a coin once has two possible outcomes. Applying the product rule, the total
number of outcomes when a die is rolled once, and a coin is tossed once is
6 x 2 = 12.
There are 12 possible outcomes when a die is rolled once,
and a coin is tossed once.

Example 11.
Using the digits from 1 to 9, how many 3-digit numbers can be formed if
repetition of digits is
a. allowed? b. not allowed?
Solution: Since we will form 3-digit numbers, so we reserve space for each digit.
__1st _ __2nd_ __3rd _

a). repetition of digits is allowed.

In the 1st space, anyone of the 9 digits can be placed; in the 2 nd space,
anyone of the 9 digits can be placed, and in the 3 rd space, anyone of the 9
digits can be placed also. Therefore, the number of 3-digit numbers that can
be formed if repetition of digits is allowed is 9 x 9 x 9 = 729.

b). repetition of digits is not allowed.

In the 1st space, anyone of the 9 digits can be placed; in the 2 nd space,
anyone of the 8 remaining digits can be placed since one digit is already
assigned in the first space, and in the 3 rd space, anyone of the 7 remaining
digits can be placed since two digits are already assigned in the first two
spaces. Using the product rule, the number of 3-digit numbers that can be
formed if repetition of digits is not allowed is 9 x 8 x 7 = 504.
So, the number of 3-digit numbers that can be formed if repetition is
not allowed is 504.

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 What’s More
Activity 1: What’s My Outfit?

Clarisse wanted to go the Shopping Mall. She was confused on what to

wear. In her wardrobe she found a gray (G) and a black (B) jeans and a red (R), a
yellow (Y) and a white (W) shirts. Help Clarisse choose her outfit matching her
available jeans and t-shirts using the following methods.
a. Tabular B. Tree Diagram C. Systematic Listing

Questions:

1. How many choices of pants are there?

2. How many choices of shirts are there?
3. How many different possible choices of outfits does Clarisse have?

Activity 2: It’s Your Turn!

From the digits 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, how many four-digit numbers can be formed

if repetition of digits is allowed?

Questions:
1. How many digits are given?
2. How many digits are required in each number to be formed?
3. How many options are there for the first digit? second digit?
third digit?
fourth digit?
4. Is the product rule applicable to answer the problem?

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 5. How many four-digit numbers are formed?
6. What is the greatest 4-digit number formed in this activity?
Activity 3. It’s Lunch Time!

A school canteen offers a student meal. It is composed of cup of rice, a

vegetable viand, a meat viand, and a regular drink. If there are 3 vegetable viands
(pinakbet, chop suey, or mixed vegetables), 3 meat viands (afritada, adobong baboy,
or beef steak), and 2 drinks (lemon juice, or kalamansi juice) organize the possible
choices a student can have using tree diagram.

Questions:

1. How many possible choices of meal does a student have?

2. What are the possible choices of meal that a student can choose from? 3.
How important are the counting techniques in our real-life setting or
experiments?

What I Have Learned

Who am I?
Directions: Fill in the information in the four ovals below. Describe each of the
information using keywords in the boxes below the ovals.

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 Counting Methods and
Techniques in an
Experiment

To count the number of occurrences of

outcomes in an experiment, different
methods can be used. They are

4
1.

2 3

What I Can Do

Travel Hassles
At last, Marlita is permitted to work abroad. She carries
a new luggage locked with 3-digit number combinations.
Excitement and anxiety filled her heart and mind while on
travel. When she reached her destination, she wanted to
freshen up, so she got her luggage and opened it. But she
forgot the number combination. She can only remember that
it started with 8, no “0”, and that digits are not repeated. With

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
this in mind, she made several attempts to open her luggage by making different
number combinations but still failed to open it.
Help Marlita open her luggage by listing down all the possible combinations.
You will be rated based on this rubric:

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
 5 POST- ASSESSMENT
If you have listed 41 – 50% of all possible number combinations only.

Directions: Read the questions carefully and encircle the letter of the correct
4 If you have listed 31 – 40% of all possible number combinations only.
answer.
1. A newlywed couple plans to have 3 children of their own. Here is the list of
possible genders of their children: {BBB, BBG, BGB, BGG, GBB, GBG, GGB,
3 If you have listed 21 – 30% of all possible number combinations only.
GGG}. How do we call this method of counting the number of occurrences of
the genders of their would-be children?
2 A. Fundamental Counting
If you have listed Principle
11 – 20% C. Tabular
of all possible number combinations only.
B. Systematic listing D. Tree diagram

1 If you have listed 1 – 10% of all possible number combinations only.

2. What technique of counting possible outcomes is illustrated below?
0 If you have not listed any possible number combinations.

Assessment 1 2 3
A (A,1) (A,2) (A,3)
B (B,1) (B,2) (B,3)

A. Fundamental Counting C. Tabular

Principle D. Tree diagram
B. Systematic listing

3. Carmina has 4 different blouses and 3 different skirts to be worn by a

mannequin. In how many ways can she dress the mannequin?
A. 3 B. 6 C. 9 D. 12

4. Which method is best to use in counting the number of 5-digit numbers that
can be formed using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9?
A. Fundamental Counting Principle C. Table
B. Systematic Listing D. Tree Diagram

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
5. How many outfits are possible with 5 pairs of jeans, 8 t-shirts and 2 pairs of
shoes?
A. 15 B. 40 C. 80 D. 100

6. A coin is tossed once, and a die is rolled once. Which of the following could
not be an outcome?
A. (H, 6) B. (T, 5) C. (T, T) D. (T, 1)

7. If a coin is tossed thrice, there are 8 possible outcomes. How many possible
outcomes are there if a coin is tossed four times?
A. 8 B. 12 C. 16 D. 20

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CO_Q4_Mathematics 8_ Module 7
8. A canteen sells four different snack foods and two types of fruit juices. Grace
can choose one snack food and one fruit juice. How many possible ways can
she choose her snacks?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 6 D. 8

9. A luggage is locked with a 3-digit even number selected from 1 – 9 digits and
repetition of digits is not allowed. How many possible ways the luggage can
be locked?
A.150 B. 224 C. 260 D. 380

10.Six different books are to be arranged on a shelf. Unfortunately, the space

available is only good for three books. Applying the product rule, which one
gives the number of ways of arranging the books on the shelf?
A. 3 x 2 x 1 B. 3 x 5 x 6 C. 6 x 5 x 4 D. 6 x 6 x 6

11.Which expression gives the number of ways a leader, a secretary, and a

reporter be selected from a group of 5 members?
A. 5 x 5 x 5 B. 5 x 4 x 3 C. 5 x 3 x 2 D. 5 x 3 x 1

12.In a 5-item true or false test, which of the following will give us the number
of ways of answering the whole test?
A. 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 C. 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3
B. 2 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 D. 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5

13.John rolled a die once and tossed some coins once. If the number of
possible outcomes is 24, how many coins were tossed?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

14.Which of the following situations will give 120 possible outcomes?

I. The number of ways a family of 5 members can arrange themselves

in a row for a picture taking.
II. The number of ways lunch can be selected from 2 kinds of rice, 4
kinds of meat and vegetable viands, 3 different desserts, and 5 different
fruit juices.
III. The number of ways a protective gear can be worn from 5 different
overalls, 3 different face masks, 3 pairs of gloves and 2 pairs of
goggles.

A. I only B. II only C. I and II only D. I, II, III

15.Which of the following shows the importance of the counting techniques in

determining the number of outcomes of an experiment in real life settings?
I. The listing of possible menu combinations in a restaurant will
enable the customers to select easily.
II. Enable everyone to list down possible choices accurately.
 III. Can make us rich.

A. I and II only C. I and III only

B. II and III only D. I, II, and III
Additional Activities

Unveil Me!

Cardano is an Italian physician, mathematician, and astrologer. He gave the

first clinical description of typhus fever. What is Cardano’s first name? To know the
first name of Cardano, match each question with the possible answers listed in the
box. Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer. If you got all answers
right, then you will know Cardano’s first name.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Questions:
1. What are the possible outcomes when a coin is tossed three times?
2. How do you call the set of all possible outcomes of an experiment?
3. If each of the four different skirts will be paired with each of the eight
different blouses, how many pairs are possible?
4. How do you call the counting technique that involves writing all the possible
outcomes in an experiment?
5. It is a technique of finding the number of possible outcomes in an
experiment without listing.
6. From the digits 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, how many three-digit odd numbers can be
formed if repetition of digits is not allowed?
7. What do we call the counting technique that uses columns and rows?
8. The possible outcomes when a coin is tossed three times are HHH, HHT,
HTH, HTT, THH, THT, TTH, TTT. What counting technique is used here?

Possible Answers:
A. 40 P. 27
B. Statistics Q. 28
C. Event R. 32
D. Certain
E. Sample space
F. Probability
G. {HHH, HHT, HTH, HTT, THH, THT, TTH, TTT}
H. {HHH, HHT, HTH, HTT, THH, HTH, TTH, TTT}
I. Tree diagram
J. Possible outcomes
K. 20
L. Fundamental principle of counting
M. Tabular
N. Experiment
O. Systematic listing