7 Choose 5

Combination Calculator
Total items (n)
Items chosen (k)

What is 7 choose 5?

Answer

7 choose 5 is
21

Order doesn't matter, no repeats: 21 ways to choose 5 of 7 items.

Choosing 5 of 7 is the same as leaving 2 out: C(7, 5) = C(7, 2).

C(7, 5) = 7! / (5! · 2!)

= C(7, 2)

= (7 × 6) / (2 × 1)
= 42 / 2

= 21

If order matters (permutations): P(7, 5) = 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 = 2,520 — each combination in 5! = 120 orders.

Row 7 of Pascal's triangle
k7 choose k
01
17
221
335
435
521
67
71

Row sum: 27 = 128 — all subsets of 7 items.

See Also

FAQ

What is 7 choose 5?

7 choose 5 is 21

Why is 7 choose 5 the same as 7 choose 2?

Every way to choose 5 of 7 items leaves exactly 2 behind, so choosing 5 and choosing which 2 to leave out are the same count: 7 choose 5 = 7 choose 2 = 21. In the formula n! / (k! (n − k)!) the two factorials below just swap places.

How many ways are there if order matters?

P(7, 5) = 2,520. Each of the 21 combinations can be put in order in 5! = 120 ways, so permutations = combinations × k!: P(n, k) = n! / (n − k)!.