Question

Five different awards are to be given to three students. Each student will receive at least one award. In how many different ways can the awards be distributed?

$120$

$150$

$180$

$210$

$240$

Video solution:

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Written solution:

There are $3^5=243$ ways to give each of the $5$ distinct awards to one of the $3$ students.

Subtract the distributions in which at least one student receives no award. If a particular student receives none, the awards go to the other two students in $2^5$ ways. This gives $3\cdot2^5$ counts, but the $3$ cases in which one student receives all awards have each been subtracted twice.

By inclusion-exclusion, the desired number is $3^5-3\cdot2^5+3=150.$

Thus, the correct answer is B.

2020 AMC 8 Problem 23

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Problem 23 in Other Years