Question

The count of bacteria in a culture is 10 and doubles every 20 minutes. Find the population size after 11 hours. Can someone explain how to solve this?

Answer 1

Since you asked how to solve this, I will put the answer at the bottom.

You might not think the same way as I but I think in steps.

(1) Calculate how many times the bacteria divide in eleven hours

The bacteria divide every 20 minutes, and will therefore divide three times every hour, 60/20 = 3.

If the bacteria grow for eleven hours, each bacterium will divide 3 times per hour × 11 hours = 33 times.

(2) Add the orginial size of bacteria into the equation

(This part is edited)

(orginial size)*2^number of divisions

10*
`2^(33\\)`

=85899345920