Question

An insect population after x months can be modeled by the function g(x) =18(1.3)^x
. Which statement is the best interpretation of one of the values in this function?

Question 2 options:

The insect population increased by 13 insects each month


The insect population increased at a rate of 30% each month


The insect population decreased at a rate of 30% each month

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To interpret the function \( g(x) = 18(1.3)^x \), let's break down the components:

- The initial value (when \( x = 0 \)) is \( g(0) = 18(1.3)^0 = 18 \). This means the initial population of insects is 18.
- The term \( (1.3)^x \) indicates that for each month that passes (each increase in \( x \)), the population is multiplied by 1.3, which represents a growth factor.

The growth factor of 1.3 indicates that the insect population increases by 30% each month, since:

- A growth factor greater than 1 indicates an increase (in this case, \( 1.3 - 1 = 0.3 \) or 30%).

Based on this analysis, the best interpretation of one of the values in this function is:

**The insect population increased at a rate of 30% each month.**