Question

Due to conservation efforts, the gray whale has been removed from the endangered species list. There are now 13,000 in the world, and the population is expected to grow by 11% yearly. Write an equation that models this scenario.

Answer 1

`P = 13,000(1.11) ^ t`

Explanation:

This scenario can be modeled using an exponential growth equation.

The exponential growth equations have the following form:

`P = p (1 + r) ^ t`

Where P is the population in year t

p is the initial population at t = 0

r is the growth rate

t is the time in years.

In this case we know that the current population is 13,000 and that the growth rate is 11%

So

`p = 13,000\\r = 0.11`

The equation that models this scenario is:

`P = 13,000(1 + 0.11) ^ t`

`P = 13,000(1.11) ^ t`