There are 3 seats in a row. In how many different ways can 5 boys occupy them?

This is a problem of permutations.

Step 1: Understand the problem We have more boys than seats. We want to find out how many different ways we can arrange these boys in the seats.

Step 2: Apply the formula for permutations The formula for permutations is nPr = n! / (n - r)!, where n is the total number of items, r is the number of items to choose, and "!" denotes factorial.

Step 3: Substitute the values into the formula In this case, n = 5 (the number of boys) and r = 3 (the number of seats). So, the calculation becomes 5P3 = 5! / (5 - 3)!

Step 4: Calculate the factorial values 5! = 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 120 (5 - 3)! = 2! = 2 * 1 = 2

Step 5: Substitute the factorial values back into the formula 5P3 = 120 / 2 = 60

So, there are 60 different ways that 5 boys can occupy 3 seats.