How many possible outcomes exist if you have 2 animal choices and 3 color choices?

Is there an easier way than constructing a tree diagram?

At a school cafeteria, students can choose one main dish for lunch. The available options are:[br][list][*][b]Rice Meals[/b]: Chicken, Beef, Fish [/*][*][b]Pasta Dishes[/b]: Spaghetti, Carbonara [/*][/list]If a student can pick [b]either[/b] a rice meal [b]or[/b] a pasta dish, how many different meal choices do they have in total?

How did you get your answer? Did you use the same technique as the first question? Why or why not?

What is the easier way to compute the total number of possible outcomes?

A cafeteria offers two meal options for lunch: [b]Combo Meals[/b] and [b]Custom Meals[/b].[br][list][*][b]Combo Meals:[/b] There are [b]3 pre-set meal combos[/b] to choose from.[/*][*][b]Custom Meals:[/b] Students can build their meal by choosing [b]1 main dish[/b] (Chicken, Fish, or Beef) and [b]1 side dish[/b] (Fries or Salad).[/*][/list]If a student must choose [b]either[/b] a Combo Meal [b]or[/b] a Custom Meal, how many different meal choices do they have?