How to Calculate the Total Termite Population

Question:

If a pesticide was sprayed on a portion of a forest and it killed 25,000 termites, which is 71% of the local termite population, what is the total termite population?

Answer:

The total termite population is 35,211.

When faced with a problem involving percentages and a part-whole relationship, we can use the following formula:

Part = Percentage x Whole

In this case, we know that 25,000 termites represent 71% of the total termite population. To find the total termite population, we can set up the equation:

25,000 = 0.71x

where x is the total termite population we want to find.

To solve for x, we can divide both sides of the equation by 0.71:

x = 25,000 / 0.71

Using a calculator, we calculate:

x ≈ 35,211.27

Therefore, the total termite population in the forest is approximately 35,211.