Answer:
(a)Yes, it is an exponential function.
(b)[tex]P(t)=200\cdot 2^{t/20}[/tex]
Step-by-step explanation:
(a)A population grows exponentially if it increases by a common ratio(called the growth ratio). We can see from the given information that the population of E.coli doubles every 20 minutes, therefore it is an exponential growth with a growth ratio of 2.
(b)The population, P(t) at any time t of an initial population, [tex]P_o[/tex] Â with a growth ratio of r over a period k can be modeled using the function:
[tex]P(t)=P_o\cdot r^{t/k}[/tex]
In this Case:
[tex]P_o[/tex]=200
Growth rate,r=2
Growth Period,k=20 minutes
Therefore, the equation that models the function is:
[tex]P(t)=200\cdot 2^{t/20}[/tex] , t is in minutes