Answer:
The ranking of the top three teams could occur in 720 ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
The order in which the teams are ranked is important, that is, for example, Oilers, Flames and Canucks is a different outcome of Oilers, Canucks and Flames. This means that the permutations formula is used to solve this question.
Permutations formula:
The number of possible permutations of x elements from a set of n elements is given by the following formula:
![P_{(n,x)} = \frac{n!}{(n-x)!}](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=P_%7B%28n%2Cx%29%7D%20%3D%20%5Cfrac%7Bn%21%7D%7B%28n-x%29%21%7D)
In how many ways could the ranking of the top three teams occur?
Three teams from a set of 10. So
![T = P_{(10,3)} = \frac{10!}{7!} = 720](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=T%20%3D%20P_%7B%2810%2C3%29%7D%20%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B10%21%7D%7B7%21%7D%20%3D%20720)
The ranking of the top three teams could occur in 720 ways.