tough and tricky questions: combinations. 8 contestants representing 4 different countries advance to the finals of a fencing championship. assuming all competitors have an equal chance of winning, how many possibilities are there with respect to how a first - place and second - place medal can be awarded?	Choose the correct answer:
A) 6
B) 7
C) 12
D) 16
E) 24
<gadget id="calculator">4 - 1</gadget>
<output>3</output>

<gadget id="calculator">8 * 3</gadget>
<output>24</output>

<result>E</result>
tough and tricky questions: combinations. 8 contestants representing 4 different countries advance to the finals of a fencing championship. assuming all competitors have an equal chance of winning, how many possibilities are there with respect to how a first - place and second - place medal can be awarded?
multiply(8, subtract(4, const_1))
number of ways first - place medal can be awarded to four contestants = 8 number of ways second - place medal can be awarded to contestants after awarding first - place medal = 3 therefore number of possibilities = 8 * 3 = 24 answer : e