Question

In a certain geographic location, a herd of antelopes is declining at a rate of six percent every year. If there are currently 570 antelopes in the herd, create an exponential decay function to model the problem. If the decrease in population continues at this rate, how many antelopes will be in the herd after 10 years? Round your answer to the nearest whole number.(1 point)

1 answer

To model the population of antelopes with exponential decay, we can use the general formula:

\[ P(t) = P_0 \cdot (1 - r)^t \]

where:

  • \( P(t) \) is the population at time \( t \),
  • \( P_0 \) is the initial population,
  • \( r \) is the rate of decrease (expressed as a decimal),
  • \( t \) is the time in years.

In this case:

  • \( P_0 = 570 \) (the current population),
  • \( r = 0.06 \) (the rate of decline of 6%).

Substituting these values into the formula gives:

\[ P(t) = 570 \cdot (1 - 0.06)^t \] \[ P(t) = 570 \cdot (0.94)^t \]

Now, to find the population after 10 years, we will substitute \( t = 10 \):

\[ P(10) = 570 \cdot (0.94)^{10} \]

Now we calculate \( (0.94)^{10} \):

\[ (0.94)^{10} \approx 0.5299 \quad \text{(using a calculator)} \]

Now substitute back into the equation:

\[ P(10) \approx 570 \cdot 0.5299 \approx 302.43 \]

Rounding to the nearest whole number, the population after 10 years will be:

\[ \boxed{302} \]

Thus, there will be approximately 302 antelopes in the herd after 10 years.