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Boxes numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are kept in a row and they are to be filled with either a red or a blue ball such that no two adjacent boxes can be filled with blue balls Then, how different arrangements are possible, given that all balls of a given colour are exactly identical in all respects ?
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- 8
- 10
- 15
- 22
Correct Option: D
Total number of ways filling the 5 boxes numbered as (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) with either blue or red balls = 25 = 32
Two adjacent boxes with blue balls can be obtained in 4 ways, i.e., (12), (23), (34) and (45). Three adjacent boxes with blue balls can be obtained in 3 ways i.e., (123), (234) and (345). Four adjacent boxes with blue balls can be obtained in 2 ways i.e., (1234) and (2345) and five boxes with blue balls can be got in 1 way.
Hence, the total number of ways of filling the boxes such that adjacent boxes have blue balls
= (4 + 3 + 2 + 1)
= 10
Hence, the number of ways of filling up the boxes such that no two adjacent boxes have blue balls
= 32 - 10
= 22
