In: Advanced Math
For the following exercises, use this scenario: A biologist recorded a count of 360 bacteria present in a culture after 5 minutes and 1,000 bacteria present after 20 minutes.
Rounding to six significant digits, write an exponential equation representing this situation. To the nearest minute, how long did it take the population to double?
Consider that a biologist recorded a count of 360 bacteria present in a culture after 5 minutes and 1000 bacteria present after 20 minutes. The initial population in the culture was 256.
Suppose that population count of bacteria after t minutes is
P(t) = 256ert
Therefore,
360 = 256er(5)
er(5) = 1.40625
r = 1/5ln(1.40625)
r = 0.068185
Hence, the population count of bacteria after t minutes is
P(t) = 256e0.068185t
Put P(t) = 2(256)
Therefore,
2(256) = 256e0.068185t
256e0.068185t = 2
t = ln(2)/0.068185
t ≈ 10
Hence, it takes 10 minutes the population to double.
Hence, it takes 10 minutes the population to double.