•Questions: relative population sizes

The next batch of questions concern the ratio of the two population sizes--owls to squirrels--as functions of time.

Question 8.   Suppose there are initially 60 owls and 130 (thousands of) squirrels.  
(a) Determine, over a 10-month time period, what the population ratios are.
(b) Based upon your calculated ratios, make a prediction as to what these ratios will be after the initial 10-month period.
(c) Confirm or refute your prediction by actually calculating the ratios over a 20-month period.    

Question 9.   Suppose now there are initially 200 owls and 100 (thousands of) squirrels.  
(a) Determine, over a 10-month time period, what the population ratios are.
(b) Based upon your calculated ratios, make a prediction as to what these ratios will be after the initial 10-month period.
(c) Confirm or refute your prediction by actually calculating the ratios over a 20-month period.    

Question 10.   Suppose next there are initially 100 owls and 175 (thousands of) squirrels.  
(a) Determine, over a 10-month time period, what the population ratios are.
(b) Based upon your calculated ratios, make a prediction as to what will happen to these ratios after many months.
(c) Confirm or refute your prediction by actually calculating the ratios rates over a 20-month period.    

Question 11.   Repeat Question 10 but for 100 owls and 50 (thousands of) squirrels initially instead of 200 owls and 100 (thousands of) squirrels.  Make any relevant comment about the relationship between your answer to this question and your answer to Question 8.

Question 12.   Repeat Question 10 again but for 80 owls and 40 (thousands of) squirrels initially instead of 200 owls and 100 (thousands of) squirrels.  Make any relevant comment about the relationship between your answer to this question and your answers to Questions 8 and 11.

Question 13.   Repeat Question 10 but for some new initial numbers of owls and squirrels.

Why do these ratios do what they seem to do? In other words, how can you account for what you found?  You are going to find out soon.

 Converted by Mathematica  (September 5, 2002)