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In a lab experiment, a population of 250 bacteria is able to triple every hour. Which equation matches the number of bacteria in the population after 2 hours?

B=250(3)^(2)

B=3(250)^(2)

B=3(250)(250)

B=250(3)(3)(3)(3)

In a lab experiment, a population of 250250 bacteria is able to triple every hour. Which equation matches the number of bacteria in the population after 22 hours?\newlineB=250(3)2 B=250(3)^{2} \newlineB=3(250)2 B=3(250)^{2} \newlineB=3(250)(250) B=3(250)(250) \newlineB=250(3)(3)(3)(3) B=250(3)(3)(3)(3)

Full solution

Q. In a lab experiment, a population of 250250 bacteria is able to triple every hour. Which equation matches the number of bacteria in the population after 22 hours?\newlineB=250(3)2 B=250(3)^{2} \newlineB=3(250)2 B=3(250)^{2} \newlineB=3(250)(250) B=3(250)(250) \newlineB=250(3)(3)(3)(3) B=250(3)(3)(3)(3)
  1. Define variables: Let's define the variables for the equation. We have an initial population of bacteria, which we'll call P0P_0, and a growth rate, which we'll call rr. In this case, P0P_0 is 250250 and the bacteria triple every hour, so rr is 33. We want to find the population after 22 hours, which we'll call P2P_2.
  2. General formula: The general formula for exponential growth is P=P0×rtP = P_0 \times r^t, where PP is the population at time tt, P0P_0 is the initial population, rr is the growth rate, and tt is the time in hours. In this case, we want to find P2P_2, so we will plug in 22 for tt.
  3. Substitute values: Substitute the known values into the equation: P=250×32P = 250 \times 3^2. This represents the population after 22 hours, where 250250 is the initial population and 323^2 is the growth factor after 22 hours.
  4. Calculate growth factor: Calculate the growth factor: 32=3×3=93^2 = 3 \times 3 = 9. This means the population will be 99 times larger after 22 hours.
  5. Multiply initial population: Multiply the initial population by the growth factor to find the population after 22 hours: P2=250×9P_2 = 250 \times 9.
  6. Perform multiplication: Perform the multiplication: P2=250×9=2250P_2 = 250 \times 9 = 2250. This is the number of bacteria in the population after 22 hours.

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