Answer: The formula for population growth of bacteria with a constant doubling time is P = Po*2^(t/d), where P is the population after t hours, Po is the initial population, t is the time in hours, and d is the doubling time.
Given the initial population of 8600 bacteria and a doubling time of 5 hours, we can substitute these values into the formula:
P = 8600 * 2^(7/5)
To find the population after 7 hours, to the nearest whole number, we can use a calculator to calculate 2^(7/5) which is approximately 3.7 and then multiply it with the initial population.
P = 8600*3.7
P = 31420
So, the population of bacteria in the culture after 7 hours will be around 31420.
Explanation: