Abe, Bobby, Charles, Devin and Edwin are the participants in a race. How many different 1st-2nd-3rd place outcomes are possible if there are no ties? Two different outcomes to include are Bobby-Devin-Edwin and Devin-Bobby-Edwin.
To count the number of possible outcomes, I need to think about how many choices I have for each position. For the first place, I have 5 choices, since any of the 5 runners could win. For the second place, I have 4 choices, since any of the remaining 4 runners could be second, but I can't repeat the winner. For the third place, I have 3 choices, since any of the remaining 3 runners could be third, but I can't repeat the first or second place finishers. So, the total number of outcomes is the product of these choices: 5 x 4 x 3 = 60. 