Jakeira is a research biologist who is studying a fast-growing bacteria strain of which the population size can double every 8 hours. To predict the colony size over the next week, she creates an equation that relates time in hours to the population size. Which function type best models this scenario?(1 point)

Question

Responses

a linear function
a linear function

a periodic function
a periodic function

a quadratic function
a quadratic function

an exponential function

Answer 1

The best function type that models the scenario described, where the population of bacteria doubles every 8 hours, is an exponential function. Exponential growth occurs when a quantity increases by a consistent multiplicative rate over time, which fits the description of bacteria doubling at regular intervals.