Question

On January 1st, Jerome concocts a rumor and tells Beth. On January 2nd, they each tell a new person. By the end of January 2nd, four people have heard the rumor. On each subsequent day, each person who has heard the rumor spreads it to a new person.
How many people have heard the rumor by the end of January 8th?

Answer 1

By the end of January 8th, the number of people who have heard the rumor can be calculated as follows:

January 3rd: 8 people (4 from the previous day + 4 new people)
January 4th: 16 people
January 5th: 32 people
January 6th: 64 people
January 7th: 128 people
January 8th: 256 people

Therefore, by the end of January 8th, 256 people have heard the rumor.