Final answer:
To find the number of protozoa after 6 hours, substitute t with 6 in the polynomial p(t) and calculate the value, which is approximately 369 when rounded to the nearest whole number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to find the number of protozoa after 6 hours using the polynomial function p(t) = 0.09t^4 + 0.5t^3 + 4t^2. We need to substitute t with 6 and calculate the value of p(6) to find the number of protozoa at that time.
Step-by-step, this is how we calculate it:
- Substitute t with 6 in the polynomial function: p(6) = 0.09(6)^4 + 0.5(6)^3 + 4(6)^2.
- Calculate the powers: p(6) = 0.09(1296) + 0.5(216) + 4(36).
- Multiply the coefficients by the respective powers: p(6) = 116.64 + 108 + 144.
- Add the results: p(6) = 368.64.
- Round to the nearest whole number: The number of protozoa after 6 hours is approximately 369.