The expression 3(1.5)t models the number of bacteria in a culture as a function of the number of hours since the culture was created.What does 3 represent in this expression?Choose 1 answer:(A) There were initially 3 bacteria in the culture.(B) The culture was created 3 hours ago.(C) The number of bacteria is multiplied by 3 each hour.
Q. The expression 3(1.5)t models the number of bacteria in a culture as a function of the number of hours since the culture was created.What does 3 represent in this expression?Choose 1 answer:(A) There were initially 3 bacteria in the culture.(B) The culture was created 3 hours ago.(C) The number of bacteria is multiplied by 3 each hour.
Exponential function definition: The expression 3(1.5)t is an exponential function where 't' represents time in hours, and the base of the exponent, 1.5, represents the growth factor per hour. The number outside the parentheses, 3, is the initial amount before any growth has occurred.
Determining the initial amount: To understand what the number 3 represents, we need to consider the value of the function when t=0, which is the starting point of the time measurement.
Substituting t=0: Substitute t=0 into the expression to find the initial amount of bacteria.3(1.5)(0)=3×1=3Since any number raised to the power of 0 is 1, the expression simplifies to just 3.
Interpreting the result: The result of the calculation shows that when t=0, the number of bacteria is 3. This indicates that the number 3 represents the initial number of bacteria in the culture at the time it was created.
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