Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
This is a permutation problem. There are 5 swimmers in the race, and any combination of 3 will finish in the first 3 places. The formula will look like this:
₅P₃ = [tex]\frac{5!}{(5-3)!}[/tex] which will expand to
₅P₃ = [tex]\frac{5*4*3*2*1}{2*1}[/tex] and when the 2 * 1 cancels out between the numerator and the denominator, you're left with simply:
₅P₃ = 5 * 4 * 3
which is 60
