a team of sixth - grade students helped estimate the rabbit population in a local park. the students knew…

a team of sixth - grade students helped estimate the rabbit population in a local park. the students knew that park rangers had already marked 58 rabbits in the park. the students counted a total of 420 rabbits. out of the rabbits they counted, 42 were marked. to the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the rabbit population?
Answer
Explanation:
Step1: Set up proportion
Let $x$ be the total rabbit population. The proportion is $\frac{58}{x}=\frac{42}{420}$.
Step2: Cross - multiply
$42x = 58\times420$.
Step3: Solve for $x$
$x=\frac{58\times420}{42}$. Since $\frac{420}{42}=10$, then $x = 58\times10=580$.
Answer:
580