Math Problem Statement

1000 bacteria are put into a petri dish. After 1 hour there are 2000 bacteria in the dish. The bacteria continue to double in quantity every hour. Using a graph or otherwise, state how long, approximately, it will take the population of bacteria to reach 1 million.

Solution

The problem in the image asks for the time it will take for the population of bacteria to reach 1 million, given that the bacteria double every hour.

Problem Breakdown:

  • Initial bacteria count: 1,000.
  • After 1 hour: 2,000 bacteria (this indicates the bacteria double every hour).
  • We need to find: The approximate time it will take for the bacteria to reach 1 million.

Solution Approach:

This problem describes exponential growth, where the number of bacteria N(t)N(t) after tt hours is given by the formula:

N(t)=N0×2tN(t) = N_0 \times 2^t

Where:

  • N0N_0 is the initial number of bacteria (1,000),
  • 2t2^t represents the doubling every hour,
  • N(t)N(t) is the number of bacteria after tt hours.

We want to find tt such that N(t)=1,000,000N(t) = 1,000,000.

Step-by-Step Calculation:

  1. Start with the equation:

    1,000×2t=1,000,0001,000 \times 2^t = 1,000,000

  2. Divide both sides by 1,000:

    2t=1,0002^t = 1,000

  3. Take the logarithm of both sides to solve for tt:

    tlog(2)=log(1,000)t \log(2) = \log(1,000)

  4. Knowing that log(2)0.3010\log(2) \approx 0.3010 and log(1,000)=3\log(1,000) = 3:

    t=30.30109.97t = \frac{3}{0.3010} \approx 9.97

So, the bacteria population will reach 1 million in approximately 10 hours.

Conclusion:

It will take about 10 hours for the bacteria population to reach 1 million, based on exponential growth.

Would you like more details or have any questions about the solution? Here are some related questions to further explore:

  1. How would the result change if the bacteria tripled every hour instead of doubling?
  2. How can the concept of exponential growth be applied to other real-life scenarios?
  3. What happens if the initial population is different, say 500 bacteria? How would that affect the time to reach 1 million?
  4. What is the general form of the exponential growth equation for other doubling times (e.g., every half-hour)?
  5. How can logarithms help simplify more complex growth problems like this one?

Tip: Exponential growth models are not only useful in biology but also in finance and technology fields (e.g., compound interest or computing power projections).

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Exponential Growth
Logarithms

Formulas

N(t) = N_0 × 2^t
t = log(N/N_0) / log(2)

Theorems

Properties of Logarithms
Exponential Growth Formula

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12