Question

The total area of Puget Sound, near Seattle, Washington, can be roughly estimated using a rectangular shape that is 100 mi long and 10.2 mi wide. In Puget Sound, killer whales require approximately 5 mi^2 of territory per whale Based on this information, how many killer whales could live in Puget Sound?

Answer 1

The total area of Puget Sound can be roughly estimated using a rectangular shape that is 100 mi long and 10.2 mi wide.

Recall that the area of a rectangular shape is given by

$A=L\cdot W$

Where L is the length and W is the width.

For the given case,

Length = 100 miles

Width = 10.2 miles

So, the area of the Puget Sound is

$A=L\cdot W=100\cdot10.2=1020\: mi^2$

In Puget Sound, killer whales require approximately 5 mi^2 of territory per whale Based on this information.

How many killer whales could live in Puget Sound?​

Divide the area of the Puget Sound by the territory area per whale

$number\: of\: whales=\frac{1020\: mi^2}{5\: mi^2}=204$

Therefore, 204 killer whales may live in Puget Sound.