document.write( "Question 252075: A bacteria culture grows by the exponential model y = 200ekt. How many bacteria
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Algebra.Com's Answer #183818 by drk(1908)\"\" \"About 
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All exponential models are of the form \"+Y+=+Ae%5Ekt\" where A is \"initial value\", k is \"growth rate\", t is time units, and Y is \"ending value\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, initially there were 200 bacteria. Since we triple, Y = 3*200 = 600. Now for time; t = 2. We don't know the growth rate, k. This is step 1 in these kind of problems.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Our formula now becomes first \"+600+=+200e%5E%282k%29\" then \"3+=+e%5E2k\" and taking a natural log (LN) of both sides we get ln(3) = 2k, and finally solving for k, we get k = ln(3)/2.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Knowing k, we can now find how many there are after 5 hours.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Y = 200*e^(5*ln(3)/2) becomes Y = 3118 rounded to the nearest bacteria.
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