To estimate the number of bass in a lake a biologist catches and tags 30 bass. Several weeks later the biologist catches a new sample of 44 bass and finds 3 are tagged. How many bass are in the lake?

To estimate the total number of bass in the lake, we can use the capture-recapture method. The proportion of tagged bass in the second sample (3 out of 44) should equal the proportion of tagged bass in the entire population (30 tagged out of the total population, N). Setting up the equation, we have ( \frac{30}{N} = \frac{3}{44} ). Solving for N gives ( N = \frac{30 \times 44}{3} = 440 ). Therefore, the estimated number of bass in the lake is approximately 440.