Question

An experimenter wishes to test whether or not two types of fish food (a standard fish food and a new product) work equally well at producing fish of equal weight after a two-month feeding program. The experimenter has two identical fish tanks (1 and 2) to put fish in and is considering how to assign $40fish$, each of which has a numbered tag, to the tanks. The best way to do this would be to

(a) put all the odd-numbered fish in one tank, the even in the other, and give the standard food type to the odd-numbered ones.

(b) obtain pairs of fish whose weights are virtually equal at the start of the experiment and randomly assign one to Tank 1 and the other to $Tank2$, with the feed assigned at random to the tanks.

(c) proceed as in part (b), but put the heavier of the pair into $Tank2$.

(d) assign the fish at random to the two tanks and give the standard feed to $Tank1$.

(e) not proceed as in part (b) because using the initial weight in part (b) is a nonrandom process. Use the initial length of the fish instead.

Short answer

The option (b) obtain pairs of fish whose weights are virtually equal at the start of the experiment and randomly assign one to Tank 1 and the other to $Tank2$, with the feed assigned at random to the tanks is correct.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

We are given that An experimenter wishes to test whether or not two types of fish Food (a standard fish food and a new product) work equally well at producing fish Of equal weight after two month feeding program. The experimenter has two Identical fish $\tan ks(1and2)$to put fish in and is considering how to assign $40fishes$, each of which has a numbered tag, to the tanks.

Explanation

We are given the fishes tanks . and we need to find the best way to do experiment.

• If we see the Option (a). No random assignment, because they are assigned by even and odd and thus this is not a good method.
• Option (b) . this is the best way to do it because it takes into account similar weights and it randomly assigned them to group .
• Option (c). not a good method.
• Option (d). this is good way to do it because this is a random assignment but (b) also takes into account so it is the best way.
• Option (e) .Not as good as (b).