Final answer:
Without specific data on bacteria concentration and growth within the discharge, an exact probability cannot be calculated. The provided examples discuss bacterial doubling times, demonstrating calculations for microbial growth over a 24-hour period given different doubling intervals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regarding the probability that one cubic meter of discharge contains at least 8 organisms involves applying concepts of microbial growth dynamics and probability, which are often discussed in biology, particularly in the fields of microbiology and environmental science. However, without specific data on the initial concentration of bacteria or their growth rate within the discharge, an exact probability cannot be calculated.
The example provided for clarification involves a theoretical experiment with bacteria doubling every 10 minutes. In such a scenario, starting with a single bacterium, the number of bacteria after 24 hours can be found by determining how many 10-minute intervals there are in 24 hours, which is 144 (since there are 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day, you divide 24*60 by 10). If each bacterium doubles every interval, the formula to calculate the total number after 24 hours is 2144, which would yield an astronomically high number, much greater than 1016, thereby showing that the setup is indeed unrealistic. On the other hand, if the doubling time were increased to 30 minutes, the calculation would involve 48 intervals (since 24*60 divided by 30 is 48), and you would use 248 to determine the starting number necessary for the jar to reach full capacity after 24 hours.