Estimate amount of possums in the park

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SUMMARY

Ursula's project involves estimating the local possum population in the park using the capture-recapture method. After tagging and releasing 50 possums, she captured a sample of 20 possums, of which 4 were tagged. The calculation shows that if 20% of the captured sample is tagged, the estimated total possum population in the park is 250. This estimation is based on the assumption that the tagged possums are evenly distributed throughout the park.

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1. Urula is doing a project and has caughed, tagged and released 50 possums. Estimate the population of the possums in the park. Three nights later she captures a sample.



2. If ursula captures 20 possums and 4 of them are tagged, what would her estimate of the local possum population be?



3.
4/20
= 0.2
0.2 x 100 = 20%

50 x (100/20) = 250
Just want to know on reassurance, I am not sure were to start here!
 
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I get 250 as well as an answer.
 


Yes, 1/5 of the possums in the sample are tagged so, assuming that she tagged throughout the park and got her sample from throughout the park, the most reasonable assumption is that 1/5 of the possums in the park were tagged. Since she tagged 50 possums, there would be 5(50)= 250 possums in the park.
 

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