Population Math Practice

• Schuhlsville is an island of 5000 square miles off the coast of Madagascar. There are
currently 250,000 inhabitants of the island. Last year, there were 12,000 children born and
10,000 people were recorded as deceased.

1. What is the current population density?

a. Density = population/area.
250,000 inhabitants / 5000 sq miles = 50 inhabitants per sq mile

2. What are the birth and death rates? 

a. Birth RATE = births / total population.
12,000 births / 250,000 = 0.48

b. Death rate = deaths / total population

10000 / 250000 = 0.04 %

3. What is the population growth rate (r)?

a. Population growth RATE = [(B+I)-(D+E)] / Initial population
(12000 – 10000) / 250000 = 0.008 %

4. In how many years will the population of Schuhlsville double?

a. TD= 70/Population growth rate
70 / 0.008 = 8750

• Transylvania contains 2.3 million people (vampires not included) and covers 800,000 square
miles. In the year after the last census, there were 109,000 new children born and 146,000
people died.
5. What is the current population density?
(2.3*10^6) / 800,000 = 2.875

6.  What are the birth and death rates?

Birth rate = 109,000 / (2.3*10^6) = 0.05
Death rate = 146,000 / (2.3*10^6) = 0.0634

7. What is the population growth rate (r)?

(109,000 – 146,000) / (2.3*10^6) = -0.016

8. If a growth rate is negative, instead of a doubling time, you can calculate the half-time…
How long until the population drops in half? (2.3*10^6)(0.016)x = (0.5)(2.3*10^6)
 x = 25

9. Little Diomede Island, AK, had a population of 146 people in 2000. If the 2005 census
found a population of 170 people, what was the growth rate?

(146 / 170) / 5 = 0.171 %

10. If the growth rate does not change, what will the population of Little Diomede be in
2025?

a.

(0.171)(146)(25) + 146 = 770.15

11. How many years will it take for the population to double?

(0.171)(146)x = 2(146)

X = 11.7 years

12. In our Fishbanks lab, we depleted the fish in both the open ocean, and coastal areas
within 8 years. IF left alone, there’s a good chance those fish could recover. Assuming a
5% growth rate, and a current population of 5,000 fish, how long would it take for the
population to reach 80,000? (Think in terms of Doubling Time!)

(0.05)(5,000)x = 80,000

X = 320