Question

A team of Biologists captured and tagged 55 deers in a forest. Two weeks later, the biologists captured a sample of 40 deer from the same forest and found that 8 of them were tagged. Which proportion would you use to find the total number of deer?

Answer 1

The proportion: 55/x = 4/40

The total number of deers = 550

Explanation:

First number of tagged deers = 55

let the number of deers = x

when the number of deers = 40

Number of tagged deers = 4

Proportion that can be used:

number of tagged deer/total number of deer for each of the sample

$\frac{55}{x}=\frac{4}{40}$$\begin{gathered} 55(40)\text{ = 4x} \\ 2200\text{ = 4x} \\ \frac{2200}{4}=\frac{4x}{4} \\ x\text{ = 550} \end{gathered}$

The total number of deers = 550

The proportion: 55/x = 4/40