Final answer:
The surface area of the balloon as a function of time, given the functions S(r) = 4πr^2 and r(t) = 12t^2, is S(t) = 576πt^4, which is option B.
Step-by-step explanation:
The surface area of a balloon as a function of radius is given by the formula S(r) = 4πr2. Since the radius increases with time and is represented by the function r(t) = 12t2, we can substitute this expression for r into the surface area formula to find the surface area as a function of time.
Substituting r(t) into S(r), we get:
S(t) = 4π(12t2)2
Expanding and simplifying this, we get:
S(t) = 4π(144t4)
S(t) = 576πt4
Therefore, the surface area of the balloon expressed as a function of time is S(t) = 576πt4, which corresponds to option B.