Home construction on an undeveloped piece of land began in January of 2008. Since the start of the home construction, the wild rabbit population in that area has begun to decrease. The table below shows the population after each month since the start of construction.

Question

Months 3 6 9
Population 199 148 97

What was the rabbit population prior to the start of construction?
A.
17
B.
250
C.
51
D.
199

Answer 1

To estimate the rabbit population prior to the start of construction, we can analyze the provided data. The population decreased over time, so we need to identify the trend and backtrack to find the initial population.

Let's look at the changes in the population over the months:

• From month 3 to month 6:

  • Population decreased from 199 to 148
  • Change: 199 - 148 = 51 rabbits lost

• From month 6 to month 9:

  • Population decreased from 148 to 97
  • Change: 148 - 97 = 51 rabbits lost

We see that the population declines by 51 rabbits every 3 months. To find the population prior to construction, we can extend this trend backward.

If we assume that the population would have continued to decrease at the same rate,

• For 3 months prior to month 3 (i.e., month 0):

  • Population at month 3 was 199
  • If we add back the 51 rabbits lost in the previous period (month 0 to 3):

  \[ 199 + 51 = 250 \]

Thus, if we estimate backwards, the rabbit population prior to the start of construction was 250.

The correct answer is B. 250.