Question

A researcher tags 20 squirrels in a wood. The next month, she returns to the wood and observes a sample of 12 squirrels, 5 of which are tagged, and a sample of 25 squirrels, 9 of which are tagged. If the two samples are representative of the squirrel population, which is the best estimate of the number of squirrels in the wood? (1 point) Responses 35 35 50 50 60 60 75

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

To estimate the total number of squirrels in the wood, we can use the concept of proportions.

From the first sample of 12 squirrels, we can calculate that 5 out of 12 are tagged. This means that roughly 5/12 of the population is tagged.

From the second sample of 25 squirrels, we can calculate that 9 out of 25 are tagged. This means that roughly 9/25 of the population is tagged.

To estimate the total number of squirrels in the wood, we need to find a number that is close enough to both proportions.

The total number of squirrels in the wood should be a multiple of both 12 and 25. By multiplying the two sample sizes, we get 12 x 25 = 300.

Therefore, a reasonable estimate for the number of squirrels in the wood is 300.

So the best estimate of the number of squirrels in the wood is 300.