What is the approximate plant population if you count 10 plants in 5 sq ft of a field?

To determine the approximate plant population per acre based on the count of plants in a specific area, you can use the following method:

1. Start with the number of plants counted. In this case, 10 plants were counted in 5 square feet.

2. First, calculate the number of square feet in an acre. There are 43,560 square feet in an acre.

3. Next, determine the number of 5 square foot sections in an acre:

[

\text{Number of 5 sq ft sections in an acre} = \frac{43,560 \text{ sq ft}}{5 \text{ sq ft}} = 8,712

]

4. Now, multiply the number of plants counted by the number of sections in an acre:

[

\text{Total plants per acre} = 10 \text{ plants} \times 8,712 = 87,120

]

Rounding this number gives an approximate plant population of 85,000 plants per acre, which aligns with the correct answer. This calculation reflects how the sample counting from a smaller area can be extrapolated to estimate the plant population density across a larger area, providing a