Bacteria
The mathematics of uncontrolled growth are frightening. A single cell of bacteria can split
itself in two, in some cases every 20 minutes. This means one becomes two then two
becomes 4 and then that 4 becomes 8. This means you could get a super colony of bacteria
that could destroy the earth.
Your task is to work out how much bacteria might exist after a day if it was left to just keep
multiplying. To guide you in your investigation make sure you address the following
questions:
Part A
After one hour how many times would the bacteria of doubled if it was splitting
every 20 minutes?
How much bacteria would there be after an hour if we started with a single cell
splitting every 20 minutes?
Using scientific notation show how many bacteria there would be after 6, 12, 18 and
24 hours for a bacteria splitting every 20 minutes.