document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1150358>Question 1150358</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Bobby is working in a lab testing bacteria populations.  After starting out with a population of 350 bacteria, he observes the change in population and notices that the population triples every 18 minutes.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Find the equation for the population P in terms of time t in minutes. Round values to three decimal places.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #771735 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=MathsterChief+><B>MathsterChief (3)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/iconNewId_16x16.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=MathsterChief+><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=MathsterChief+><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=771735\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> This is an example of exponential population growth. We can use the population growth equation which is in the form <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=B%5Bt%5D+=+B%5Bo%5D%2A%28R%29%5E%28t%2FT%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"B%5Bt%5D+=+B%5Bo%5D%2A%28R%29%5E%28t%2FT%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > where <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=B%5Bt%5D ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"B%5Bt%5D\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > is an the population of bacteria after t minutes <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=B%5Bo%5D ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"B%5Bo%5D\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > is the initial populaion R is the rate of growth or decay, t is time in minutes and T is the time constant or time which it takes to reach one full growth or decay. Plugging in our given values we get the equation for bacteria as <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=B%5Bt%5D+=+350%2A%283%29%5E%28t%2F18%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"B%5Bt%5D+=+350%2A%283%29%5E%28t%2F18%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
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