Calculus Volume 1

Chapter 6 | Applications of Integration

735

Figure 6.79 An example of exponential growth for bacteria.

Time (min)

Population Size (no. of bacteria)

10

244

20

298

30

364

40

445

50

544

60

664

70

811

80

991

90

1210

100

1478

110

1805

120

2205

Table 6.1 Exponential Growth of a Bacterial Population

Note that we are using a continuous function to model what is inherently discrete behavior. At any given time, the real-world population contains a whole number of bacteria, although the model takes on noninteger values. When using exponential

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