What is the predicted carrying capacity of the Daphnia culture?

• A. 135
• B. 50
• C. 2.7
• D. 135/50

Answer: (D)

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that the environment can sustain given its resources. In this Daphnia culture, the value is given as a ratio derived from the experimental data: 135 divided by 50, which equals 2.7. This fractional form captures the exact relationship used to estimate K from the data, so it’s the precise representation of the carrying capacity in the problem’s context. The decimal 2.7 conveys the same magnitude, but the ratio shows how the value was obtained from the measurements, making it the best choice.