Final answer:
To determine the number of bacteria after 48 hours, we can use the rule of exponential growth. Assuming a doubling time of 1 hour, there would be approximately 2,745,800,251 bacteria in the Petri dish.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of bacteria after 48 hours, we need to calculate the growth rate using the rule of exponential growth.
Given that the number of bacteria increased from 47 to 273 in 8 hours, we can calculate the growth factor:
Growth factor = Final amount / Initial amount = 273 / 47 = 5.81
Now, we can use this growth factor to determine the number of bacteria after 48 hours:
Number of bacteria after 48 hours = Initial amount x (Growth factor)^(Time / Doubling time)
Since the doubling time is not given, let's assume it's 1 hour for simplicity:
Number of bacteria after 48 hours = 47 x (5.81)^48 = 2,745,800,251