Question

If 8 individuals in a laboratory population of 80 fruit flies died during a specified time interval, the death rate in the population during that period is

• A. 0.1 individual/time interval
• B. 1 individual/time interval
• C. 0.01 individual/time interval
• D. 0.001 individual/time interval

Hint:

Death rate is calculated as (number of deaths / total population), expressed per time interval.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

• Definition of Death Rate: The death rate is the number of individuals dying divided by the total population over a specific time interval.
• Calculation:
  • Total population = 80 fruit flies.
  • Number of deaths = 8 individuals.
  • Death rate = Number of deaths / Total population = 8 / 80 = 0.1 individual/time interval.
• Option Analysis:
  • (1) 0.1 individual/time interval: Matches the calculated death rate. This is correct.
  • (2) 1 individual/time interval: This would imply all 80 died, which is incorrect.
  • (3) 0.01 individual/time interval: This is too low (1/100 of the population).
  • (4) 0.001 individual/time interval: This is even lower, not reflecting the data.
• Conclusion: The correct answer is (1) 0.1 individual/time interval, as it accurately represents the proportion of deaths.