Suppose that a population of skunks lives on an isolated island. If 500 skunks are present today and the birth rate is 65 per week and the death rate is 47 per week, how many skunks do you predict will be on the island 105 days from now, and what would a graph of population versus time look like for this population?
A.230 skunks; graph shows a downward trend
B.550 skunks; graph shows a stable trend
C.770 skunks; graph shows an upward trend
D.432 skunks; graph shows a downward trend*****
The answer is C. I figured it out :)
To predict the number of skunks on the island 105 days from now, we need to calculate the net change in population over 105 days.
Net Change = (birth rate - death rate) * number of weeks * number of days per week
First, calculate the net change per day:
Net Change per day = (65 - 47) skunks/day = 18 skunks/day
Next, calculate the net change over 105 days:
Net Change = Net Change per day * number of days = 18 skunks/day * 105 days = 1890 skunks
To determine the future population, we need to add the net change to the current population:
Future Population = Current Population + Net Change = 500 skunks + 1890 skunks = 2390 skunks
So the predicted number of skunks on the island 105 days from now is 2390 skunks.
Based on the net population change of 18 skunks per day, the graph of population versus time would show a stable or upward trend. Option C.770 skunks; graph shows an upward trend matches this expectation.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C. 770 skunks; graph shows an upward trend.