Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 6 Ex 6.3 – Permutations and Combinations | Boundless Maths
Ex 6.3 Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions · Chapter 6

Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 6 Ex 6.3 – Permutations and Combinations

Free, step-by-step Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions for Chapter 6 Ex 6.3 — all 11 questions solved, covering permutations of digits, committee positions, equations in n and r, and word arrangements including EQUATION, MONDAY, MISSISSIPPI and PERMUTATIONS.

The formula {}^{n}P_{r}=\dfrac{n!}{(n-r)!} drives Questions 1–7 directly. From Question 8 onward, the exercise moves to arranging the letters of a whole word — straightforward when every letter is different (EQUATION, MONDAY), but requiring a division by p! for each repeated letter once a word like MISSISSIPPI or PERMUTATIONS is involved. The last two questions also add a grouping condition — letters kept together, or a fixed number of letters between two specific positions — which is best handled by treating the block as one unit first, then arranging inside it separately.

11Questions
Easy–HardDifficulty Mix
2026-27CBSE Syllabus

Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 6 Ex 6.3 — All 11 Questions

1

How many 3-digit numbers can be formed by using the digits 1 to 9 if no digit is repeated?

Easy +
Solution

Since order matters and no digit repeats, the required number is the number of permutations of 9 different digits taken 3 at a time.

{}^{9}P_{3}=9\times8\times7=504

504 such 3-digit numbers can be formed.
2

How many 4-digit numbers are there with no digit repeated?

Easy +
Solution

A 4-digit number cannot have 0 in the thousands (leftmost) place, so this place needs separate treatment from the rest.

Thousands place: can be filled by any of the 9 non-zero digits (1–9), so 9 ways.

The remaining 3 places are filled from the remaining 9 digits (0–9 minus the one already used), with no repetition — this is a permutation of 9 digits taken 3 at a time.

{}^{9}P_{3}=9\times8\times7=504

By the multiplication principle, the required number of 4-digit numbers is:

9\times504=4536

4536 such 4-digit numbers exist.
3

How many 3-digit even numbers can be made using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, if no digit is repeated?

Medium +
Solution

A number is even exactly when its units digit is even, so the units place must be filled first, from the restricted choices, before the unrestricted places.

Units place: only 2, 4 or 6 can go here — 3 ways.

Once the units digit is fixed, the tens and hundreds places are filled from the remaining 5 digits, with no repetition — a permutation of 5 digits taken 2 at a time.

{}^{5}P_{2}=5\times4=20

By the multiplication principle, the required number of 3-digit even numbers is:

20\times3=60

60 such 3-digit even numbers can be formed.
4

Find the number of 4-digit numbers that can be formed using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 if no digit is repeated. How many of these will be even?

Medium +
Solution
Total 4-digit numbers

The required count is the number of permutations of 5 digits taken 4 at a time.

{}^{5}P_{4}=5\times4\times3\times2=120

120 such 4-digit numbers can be formed.
How many are even

The units digit must be even, so it can be filled only by 2 or 4 — 2 ways.

The remaining 3 places are filled from the remaining 4 digits, with no repetition:

{}^{4}P_{3}=4\times3\times2=24

By the multiplication principle, the number of even 4-digit numbers is:

24\times2=48

48 of these 4-digit numbers are even.
5

From a committee of 8 persons, in how many ways can we choose a chairman and a vice chairman assuming one person can not hold more than one position?

Easy +
Solution

The chairman can be chosen from the 8 persons in 8 ways. Since one person cannot hold both positions, the vice chairman must then be chosen from the remaining 7 persons, in 7 ways.

By the multiplication principle, or equivalently, the number of permutations of 8 persons taken 2 at a time:

{}^{8}P_{2}=8\times7=56

56 ways to choose a chairman and a vice chairman.
6

Find n if {}^{n-1}P_{3}:{}^{n}P_{4}=1:9.

Medium +
Solution

Writing both permutations using the factorial formula:

{}^{n-1}P_{3}=\dfrac{(n-1)!}{(n-4)!} \qquad {}^{n}P_{4}=\dfrac{n!}{(n-4)!}

The given ratio becomes:

\dfrac{(n-1)!/(n-4)!}{n!/(n-4)!}=\dfrac{1}{9}

The (n-4)! cancels, and since n!=n\times(n-1)!:

\dfrac{(n-1)!}{n!}=\dfrac{1}{n}=\dfrac{1}{9}

So n=9.

n = 9
7

Find r if (i) {}^{5}P_{r}=2\,{}^{6}P_{r-1} (ii) {}^{5}P_{r}={}^{6}P_{r-1}

Hard +
Solution
(i)

Writing both sides using the factorial formula:

\dfrac{5!}{(5-r)!}=2\times\dfrac{6!}{(7-r)!}

Since (7-r)!=(7-r)(6-r)(5-r)!, cancelling (5-r)! from both sides:

5!=\dfrac{2\times6!}{(7-r)(6-r)}

(7-r)(6-r)=\dfrac{2\times6!}{5!}=2\times6=12

Expanding: 42-13r+r^2=12 \ \Rightarrow\ r^2-13r+30=0

(r-3)(r-10)=0 \ \Rightarrow\ r=3 \text{ or } r=10

Since r\le5 for {}^{5}P_{r} to be defined, r=10 is rejected.

(i) r = 3
(ii)

Writing both sides using the factorial formula:

\dfrac{5!}{(5-r)!}=\dfrac{6!}{(7-r)!}

Cancelling (5-r)! as before:

(7-r)(6-r)=\dfrac{6!}{5!}=6

Expanding: 42-13r+r^2=6 \ \Rightarrow\ r^2-13r+36=0

(r-4)(r-9)=0 \ \Rightarrow\ r=4 \text{ or } r=9

Since r\le5, r=9 is rejected.

(ii) r = 4
8

How many words, with or without meaning, can be formed using all the letters of the word EQUATION, using each letter exactly once?

Easy +
Solution

EQUATION has 8 letters — E, Q, U, A, T, I, O, N — all different, and every letter is used exactly once.

The required number of words is the number of permutations of 8 different letters taken all at a time:

8!=40320

40320 such words can be formed.
9

How many words, with or without meaning can be made from the letters of the word MONDAY, assuming that no letter is repeated, if (i) 4 letters are used at a time, (ii) all letters are used at a time, (iii) all letters are used but first letter is a vowel?

Medium +
Solution

MONDAY has 6 letters — M, O, N, D, A, Y — all different.

(i) 4 letters used at a time

{}^{6}P_{4}=6\times5\times4\times3=360

(i) 360 words
(ii) All letters used at a time

{}^{6}P_{6}=6!=720

(ii) 720 words
(iii) All letters used, first letter a vowel

The vowels in MONDAY are O and A — 2 choices for the first letter.

The remaining 5 letters can be arranged in the remaining 5 places in 5! ways.

By the multiplication principle:

2\times5!=2\times120=240

(iii) 240 words
10

In how many of the distinct permutations of the letters in MISSISSIPPI do the four I's not come together?

Hard +
Solution

MISSISSIPPI has 11 letters: M (1), I (4), S (4), P (2).

Total distinct permutations

\dfrac{11!}{4!\,4!\,2!}=\dfrac{39916800}{24\times24\times2}=34650

Permutations where all four I's come together

Treat the block IIII as a single unit. This block, together with M, S, S, S, S, P, P, gives 8 objects in total, with S repeated 4 times and P repeated 2 times.

\dfrac{8!}{4!\,2!}=\dfrac{40320}{24\times2}=840

Permutations where the four I's do not come together

Subtract the "I's together" count from the total:

34650-840=33810

33810 permutations have the four I's not together.
11

In how many ways can the letters of the word PERMUTATIONS be arranged if the (i) words start with P and end with S, (ii) vowels are all together, (iii) there are always 4 letters between P and S?

Hard +
Solution

PERMUTATIONS has 12 letters, in which T appears twice and every other letter — P, E, R, M, U, A, I, O, N, S — appears once.

(i) Words start with P and end with S

Fixing P at the first place and S at the last place leaves 10 letters (E, R, M, U, T, A, T, I, O, N) to arrange in the 10 middle places, with T repeated twice.

\dfrac{10!}{2!}=\dfrac{3628800}{2}=1814400

(i) 1814400 arrangements
(ii) Vowels all together

The vowels E, U, A, I, O (5 distinct vowels) are treated as a single block. This block, together with the 7 consonants P, R, M, T, T, N, S (T repeated twice), gives 8 objects to arrange.

\dfrac{8!}{2!}=\dfrac{40320}{2}=20160

Within the block, the 5 distinct vowels can themselves be arranged in 5!=120 ways.

By the multiplication principle, the required number of arrangements is:

20160\times120=2419200

(ii) 2419200 arrangements
(iii) Always 4 letters between P and S

Number the 12 positions 1 to 12. Exactly 4 letters lie between P and S when their positions differ by 5. The possible position pairs (smaller, larger) are (1,6), (2,7), (3,8), (4,9), (5,10), (6,11), (7,12) — 7 such pairs.

For each pair of positions, P and S can occupy them in 2 orders (P first, S second, or S first, P second), giving 7\times2=14 ways to place P and S.

The remaining 10 letters (E, R, M, U, T, A, T, I, O, N, with T repeated twice) fill the remaining 10 places in:

\dfrac{10!}{2!}=1814400 ways.

By the multiplication principle, the required number of arrangements is:

14\times1814400=25401600

(iii) 25401600 arrangements

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Common Questions

Class 11 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 6 Ex 6.3 — FAQs

How many questions are there in Exercise 6.3?
Exercise 6.3 has 11 questions — Questions 1 to 5 count arrangements of digits and committee positions, Questions 6 and 7 solve equations for n and r using the nPr formula, and Questions 8 to 11 arrange the letters of words such as EQUATION, MONDAY, MISSISSIPPI and PERMUTATIONS, including cases with repeated letters and grouping conditions.
How do you find the number of arrangements of a word with repeated letters?
If a word has n letters in total, with p₁ letters of one kind, p₂ of another kind, and so on, the number of distinct arrangements is n!/(p₁! p₂! ... pₖ!). Dividing by each repeat count removes the arrangements that look identical because the repeated letters have simply swapped places, such as the four I's in MISSISSIPPI.
Where can I find the official NCERT textbook for this chapter?
Permutations and Combinations is Chapter 6 of the NCERT Class 11 Mathematics textbook, published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and prescribed by CBSE. You can download the official textbook PDF directly from ncert.nic.in, NCERT's official website — the solutions on this page follow the exercise exactly as it appears there.

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