Final answer:
To model the exponential growth of a rumor, we use the function f(t) = 80 × 2^t.
After 10 days, the number of people who have heard the rumor will be 81,920.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to an exponential growth problem where the number of people who have heard a rumor doubles every day. The goal is to find a mathematical function that represents this growth and to use it to calculate the number of people who will have heard the rumor after a certain period.
Part a:
The exponential growth function can be represented as f(t) = a × b^t, where a is the initial amount, b is the growth factor, and t is time in days. Given that the initial number of people who have heard the rumor is 80 and it doubles each day, the base b will be 2. Thus, the equation can be written as f(t) = 80 × 2^t.
Part b:
To find out how many people will have heard the rumor in 10 days, we substitute t with 10 in the equation we found in part a: f(10) = 80 × 2^10. Simplifying this, we get f(10) = 80 × 1024, which equals 81,920 people. Therefore, 81,920 people will have heard the rumor in 10 days.