Final answer:
The exponential population growth model for Nilam, which doubles every 7 years from a starting population of 15,000 in 1987, is P(t) = 15000 × 2^(t/7), where t is the number of years since 1987.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding an Exponential Function for Population Growth
To find an exponential function for the population of Nilam, we will use the form P(t) = P₀ * n^t, where:
- P(t) is the population at time t
- P₀ is the initial population
- n is the growth rate
- t is the time in years since the beginning year
In 1987, the population of Nilam was 15,000, and it doubles every 7 years which means n = 2. To express the population doubling every 7 years, we can write the model as:
P(t) = 15000 × 2^(t/7)
Here, t is the number of years since 1987, and every time t increases by 7, the value of 2^(t/7) doubles, accurately modeling the population doubling every 7 years