Question

brittany is an avid birdwatcher and is trying to estimate the number of doves living in her region. she traps 29 doves and tags them. later, she traps 420 doves, 14 of which are tagged. to the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the dove population?

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let $N$ = total population.
$$\frac{\text{Tagged total}}{\text{Total population}} = \frac{\text{Tagged recaptured}}{\text{Recaptured total}}$$
$$\frac{29}{N} = \frac{14}{420}$$

Step2: Simplify right-hand side

$$\frac{14}{420} = \frac{1}{30}$$

Step3: Solve for $N$

$$N = 29 \times 30 = 870$$

Answer:

870