Counting Principles: 20 parking spots, 20 cars; 4Red, 5 Silver, 3 Blue, 8 White. If the silver cars are all consecutive, how many ways can the lot be filled?

Question

Counting Principles: 20 parking spots, 20 cars; 4Red, 5 Silver, 3 Blue, 8 White.  If the silver cars are all consecutive, how many ways can the lot be filled?

anonymous · Answer

I believe the answer is 16!/4!3!8! = 3,603,600.  Anyone? 

Thanks.

anonymous · Answer

i believe it should be 15! because you have 5 silver not 4

anonymous · Answer

True, however, I believe it's 16 because you are arranging the silver cars as a block, which can start anywhere in the sequence.  Otherwise with 15! they can only be in one place.  I think?