To calculate the total number of possible license plates that can be formed with the pattern of 3 letters followed by 2 digits, we need to consider the choices for each part:
1. **Choosing the Letters**: There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. For the first letter, we have 26 options, for the second letter, we also have 26 options, and for the third letter, again 26 options. Therefore, the total number of combinations for the letters is:
26 × 26 × 26 = 263 = 17,576
2. **Choosing the Digits**: There are 10 digits (0 through 9). For the first digit, we have 10 options, and for the second digit, we again have 10 options. So, the total number of combinations for the digits is:
10 × 10 = 102 = 100
3. **Total Combinations**: Now, to find the total number of unique license plates, we multiply the total combinations of letters by the total combinations of digits:
17,576 (letters) × 100 (digits) = 1,757,600
Thus, the total number of unique license plates that can be made consisting of 3 letters followed by 2 digits is 1,757,600.