Question

A 7-column table with 2 rows. Column 1 is labeled Sample with entries catfish, all fish. Column 2 is labeled 1 with entries 3, 20. Column 3 is labeled 2 with entries 5, 20. Column 4 is labeled 3 with entries 7, 20. Column 5 is labeled 4 with entries 5, 20. Column 6 is labeled 5 with entries 6, 20. Column 7 is labeled 6 with entries 8, 20. The mean number of catfish in all 6 samples is approximately 5.7. If 200 fish are in the pond, which proportion can be used to predict the number of catfish in the population? StartFraction 5.7 over 20 EndFraction = StartFraction x over 200 EndFraction StartFraction 5.7 over 20 EndFraction = StartFraction 200 over x EndFraction StartFraction 34 over 20 EndFraction = StartFraction x over 200 EndFraction StartFraction 8 over 20 EndFraction = StartFraction 20 over x EndFraction

Answer 1

Answer: The correct option is 5.7/20 = x/200

Step-by-step explanation: Please refer to the diagram attached for more details.

From the 7-column by 2-row table drawn, you can determine that the mean number of catfish as given in the question is derived as follows;

Mean = Summation of observed data / Number of observations

Mean  = (3 + 5 + 7 + 5 + 6 + 8)/6

Mean = 34/6

Mean = 5.6667

Mean ≈ 5.7

Also the mean number of all fish is derived as follows;

Mean = Summation of observed data / Number of observations

Mean = (20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 20)/6

Mean = 120/6

Mean = 20

Using relative frequency, we can confidently predict the number of catfish population in the pond. This simply means, if the mean number of catfish is 5.7 and the mean number of all fish is 20, then the relative frequency would be 5.7 over 20 of the total fish population.

Hence, if there is a total of 200 fish in the pond then to predict the proportion which would be catfish can be expressed as follows;

StartFraction 5.7 over 20 EndFraction = StartFraction x over 200 EndFraction.

OR better expressed as;

5.7/20 = x/200