Answer:
Colin can do this is 272 ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first counter goes to Obi and the second to Zeema, so the order is important. This means that we use the permutations formula to solve this question.
Permutations formula:
The number of possible permutations of x elements from a set of n elements is given by the following formula:
[tex]P_{(n,x)} = \frac{n!}{(n-x)!}[/tex]
In this question:
Two counters from a set of 17. So
[tex]P_{(17,2)} = \frac{17!}{(17-2)!} = 272[/tex]
Colin can do this is 272 ways.