5.4+Comparing+the+Dakotas+-+2010-2011

December 12th, 2010 A.S. 7H

__Big Idea:__ Many important practical and mathematical applications involve comparing quantities of one kind or another; it is important to know which method to use and how we should use them.

__Essential Question:__ What methods are there for comparing things?

__Notes:__


 * //South Dakota has 72,000 people and 75, 896 square miles of land. The density is 9.499 and the unit rate is 9.4 million people/ 1 mile2//
 * //North Dakota has 638,000 people and 68, 994 square miles of land. The density is 0.247 and the unit rate is 9.2 million people/1 mile2.//


 * __Problem 5.4__**


 * A. Which state, North Dakota or South Dakota, has the greater population density?**

South Dakota has the greater population density but only by a little. They have 9.49 people per square mile whereas North Dakota has 9.24 people per square mile. To calculate those numbers, you get the population and then divide it by the area. (Look above at the notes to see the population and area and my actual process).


 * B. How many citizens of one state would have to move to the other state to make the population densities in the two states equal? Explain how you arrived at your answer.**

About 9,000 citizens would have to leave South Dakota and about 9,000 people would have to enter North Dakota. I got that number by finding the average population density and then multiplying the area of North Dakota by 9.38 which equals 638,000.

__**Follow - Up**__

My home country [India] has the population density of 910 people/ miles squared and my home city [New Delhi] has the population density of 9340 people/miles squared. This is very different from North and South Dakota - the population density is a lot more because there are lots of people and the area is not as big.

[|A YouTube Video About Population Density]