Dr. Serrano is a zoologist who studies giant pandas. Giant pandas are very tiny when they are born but grow to be quite large. The function f(x) gives the weight, in pounds, of a particular female panda when she was x years old.

What does f(4)=f(30) tell you?

1 answer

The notation \( f(4) = f(30) \) indicates that the weight of the giant panda when she was 4 years old is equal to her weight when she was 30 years old.

This could suggest a few potential scenarios:

  1. Weight Stabilization: The panda may have reached a point in her life (around the age of 4) where her weight became stable and did not increase or decrease significantly as she aged to 30.

  2. Weight Loss or Gain at Different Times: It could also imply that the panda experienced weight loss or gain conditions around those ages, leading them to weigh the same at those two points in time.

  3. Immature or Aging Panda: Lastly, it might suggest that the panda, being quite young at 4 years old, did not gain weight significantly in the years leading up to 30, or that she is past her peak weight in old age and has lost weight, resulting in her being the same weight at both ages.

In any case, this equality raises questions about the panda's growth development and health throughout its life.