In a biology lab experiment, a student finds that the ratio of insects with characteristic Y to those without it is 4:2. Additionally, it is noted that 1/4 of the insects with characteristic Y are male. What fraction of the entire insect population consists of male insects with characteristic Y?

Correct answer marked below

1/1

1/4

4/10

1/6

Correct

1/3

You can see the correct answer above. Sign in for free to unlock the complete worked solution.

Get detailed analytics, unlock full explanations, and move up difficulty tiers as you practice.

Explanation

Preview

Official Explanation

Official

Let #Insect with Characteristic Y be Iy and #Insect without Characteristic Y be In. Given,

\frac{Iy}{In}=\frac{4}{2}

. Thus, let 4x = #Insect with Characteristic Y and 2x = #Insect without Characteristic Y. The total population…

Comments

PrachiDec 28, 2024

Can someone explain it other way?

NandhuJan 11, 2024

Thank you very much!

BituSep 25

the wording 'fraction of the entire population' is what tripped me up, keep forgetting the denominator is everyone not just the Y group

What this question tests

Your ability to convert between fractions, ratios, and decimals and to reason proportionally.

Cross-multiplying incorrectly or mixing up the ratio parts — a part:part ratio is not a fraction of the whole.