Question

A clerk has 4 different letters that need to go in 4 different envelopes. What is the probability that all 4 letters are placed in the correct envelopes?

Answer 1

1/4 * 1/3 * 1/2 * 1/1 = 1/24 chance that all 4 letters are placed in the correct envelopes.

With the first envelope, there are 4 choices of letters, so the probability of picking the correct letter is 1/4.

With the second envelope, there are 3 remaining letters, so the probability of picking the correct letter is 1/3.

The same logic follows the the third and final letter.