Question

Part 2: The Zombie Assassin

The governor has hired professional zombie assassins. They charge $100,000 up front, plus an additional $2 per
zombie eliminated. They can decrease the zombie population at a rate of 50% per hour. The zombie assassin
was hired 20 hours after the outbreak began. Use this information to answer the following questions:
2(a). Set up an equation then determine how many zombies they exterminated after 5, 10, 15, 20 hours.
2(b). Make a table of your data from the previous question and then use that information to make a graph.
2(c). How much money has the zombie assassin made after 15 hours? Explain your answer. How many zombies
would they have to kill to make a million dollars? Explain your answer.
2(d). How long will it take the zombie assassin to eliminate all zombies? Explain. How much money did they
make? Remember when setting up your equation that you need to account for the fact that the zombie assassin
started 20 hours after the outbreak. How can you use the two graphs to come up with your conclusion?

Answer 1

Answer: See below

Explanation:

y = a(b)ˣ

• y: final population of zombies
• a: initial population of zombies
• b: rate of decrease
• x: number of hours

Given: a = 500,000 b = 50% (0.5)

y = 500,000(0.5)ˣ

Since we want to know the number assassinated (A), subtract the total from the final population of zombies

A = 500,000 - y

a) Equation: 500,000 - 500,000(0.5)ˣ

b)

(Graph attached)

c) The assassins will earn 100,000 + 2(499,985) = $1,099,970 after 15 hours.

The number of zombies needed to assassinate in order to earn $1,000,000:

100,000 + 2z = 1,000,000

2z = 900,000

z = 450,000

d) How long will it take to eliminate all of the zombies?

The population of zombies is zero when x = 20 hours

How much money did the assassinators earn?

100,000 + 2(500,000) = $1,100,000