In an experiment to study the growth of bacteria, a medical student measured 5000 bacteria at time 0 and 8000 at time 10 minutes. assuming that the number of bacteria grows exponentially, how many bacteria will be present after 30 minutes?

Usig the formula; Nt = N0 * (1 + r) ^t

where:

Nt: The amount at time t

N0: The amount at time 0

r: Growth rate

t: Time passed

First we calculate r (the exponential growth rate); 8000 = 5000 * (1+r) ^10

r = 0.048

Therefore in 30 minutes;

Nt = 5000 * (1+0.048) ^30

Nt = 20500