Question

Roberto and Maeko open a pet store and start with 5 hamsters for sale. Hamster populations usually triple every cycle. One cycle is equal to 4 months. Write an equation in function notation to represent the change in the number of hamsters as a function of the cycle number, c. Explain how you determined your equation.

Answer 1

The number of hamsters as a function of the cycle number, c, can be represented by the equation:

f(c) = 5 * 3^c

This equation was determined by the fact that the population triples every cycle and the starting number of hamsters is 5. The function notation is f(c) which represents the number of hamsters as a function of the cycle number. The base of the equation is 3, which represents the rate at which the population triples. The exponent is c, which represents the cycle number. The coefficient is 5, which represents the starting number of hamsters.