SOLUTION: A scientist begins an experiment with a petri dish containing a culture of bacteria cells and records the cell growth every hour. At 1 hour, the bacteria had grown to 880 cells, an

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Question 1021133: A scientist begins an experiment with a petri dish containing a culture of bacteria cells and records the cell growth every hour. At 1 hour, the bacteria had grown to 880 cells, and at 2 hours, had grown to 3,520 cells. Which function can be used to represent the relationship between the number of bacteria cells, y, and the time in hours, x?
y = 4 x
y = 220(4) x
y = 880(4) x
y = 880(0.25) x

Answer by josgarithmetic(39620) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The choices look strange. Try starting with a general model y=p%2Ae%5E%28kx%29. Two points are (1,880) and (2,3520). You might instead try a general model y=p%2A%281%2Br%29%5Ex in which the rate of growth per hour is r, as a decimal value. This form of the model might be better for the kinds of choices you want to use.

One point gives an equation p%2A%281%2Br%29%5E1=880
p%281%2Br%29=880
and the other point gives p%2A%281%2Br%29%5E2=3520.

First one gives p=880%2F%281%2Br%29, and substituted into the second equation gives %288%2F%281%2Br%29%29%281%2Br%29%5E2=3520
simplifiable as 8%281%2Br%29=3520
allowing you to find r.
-
1%2Br=3520%2F8
r=3520%2F8-1
r=439

Using this in the first equation p%28440%29=880
p=2

Putting these into the model from the general form makes y=2%2A%281%2B439%29%5Ex
Simpliable to y=2%2A440%5Ex
highlight%28y=880%5Ex%29

Still not the same as any of the choices you have.