EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS & FUNCTIONS

Question

A culture of bacteria doubles in weight approximately every 2.5 hours. The number of bacteria after t hours later can be approximated by 𝑁(𝑡) = 175(2.5)^t

a) How many bacteria would there be initially (𝑡 = 0)?

b) Find 𝑁(4). What does this number tell you in terms of this problem?

Answer 1

Anything to the 0 power is 1, so 175(2.5)⁰ = 175.

 

175(2.5)⁴ = 6836. This is the number after 2.5(4) = 10 hours