I saw this combination lock at a Duane Reade.  It has only four options: you move the knob up, down, left, or right. They advertise that it’s easier to operate, especially if you need to open it in the dark.

https://instagram.com/p/uhWUHVwJ5i/

However, it also seems easier for someone else to crack the code.

Assuming a 4-step combination code, how many tries would it take a stranger–at most–to crack the code? (I didn’t read exactly how many steps the code is, I just blindly assumed it would be 4). Assuming it would take 5 seconds to try a given combination, how many minutes, at most, would it take someone to bust open your lock?

You could also consider the following problem: suppose there is no fixed length of the combination. You can make any combination between 1 step long and 4 steps long. In that case, how many possible combos would exist?

Also: see what happens if the combination is 5 steps long.  Or 6 steps long.  The number of possible combos is shooting up.

Can you make a formula for the number of possible combos, if the combination is n steps long?