Question

There are 50 fish in the pond that have tags. You catch 25 fish, and 5 of them have tags. What is the best estimate of the number of fish in the pond?

Answer 1

Answer: 250

Explanation:

You work this problem by using proportions.

A proportion is the equalization of two ratios.

Here you assume that the ratio of fish with tags to total fish that you catch is the same than the ratio of fish with tags to total fish in the pond.

Mathematically:

• 5 fish with tag / 25 fish = 50 fish with tag / x

• 5 / 25 = 50 / x

Solve for x:

• Multiplication property of equality: x × 5 = 50 × 25
• Division property of equality: x = 50 × 25 / 5
• Result: 250

Answer 2

Answer:

There are total 250 fishes in pond.          

Explanation:

According to given data:

Total number of tagged fishes in the pond = 50

total number of fishes in pond = x = ?

Solution:

Ratio of total fishes to tagged fishes = x/50

You catch 5 tagged fishes out of total caught 25 fishes.

So ratio of total fishes to tagged fishes = 25/5

AS the ratio of total fishes to tagged fishes remains same in whole pond so:

            Whole pond ratio = Ratio of caught fishes

                                 x/50 = 25/5

                               =     x   =  25/5 * 50

                               =     x  =  250

Hence x is the total number of fiches in pond. So its calculated value is 250. It means there are total 250 fishes in pond.