Final answer:
The number of bacteria after 12 days can be found using the formula for exponential growth. Substituting the given numbers we get: 900 * (1 + 0.02)^12. The result will give the total bacteria after 12 days.
Step-by-step explanation:
This question is centered around the concept of exponential growth. When a population such as bacteria grows exponentially, it increases by a certain percentage each time period, which in this case is per day.
To solve this, we will use the formula for exponential growth, which is N = N0 * (1 + r)^t. In this formula, N is the final amount, N0 is the initial amount, r is the rate of growth (expressed as a decimal), and t is the time period.
Substituting the given values into the formula, we get:
N = 900 * (1 + 0.02)^12
Compute the value inside the brackets first, then raise it to the power of 12, and finally multiply the result by 900. This will give the total number of bacteria after 12 days.
Learn more about exponential growth