A biologist studied the populations of common guppies and Endler’s guppies over a 6-year period. The biologist modeled the populations, in tens of thousands, with the following polynomials where x is time, in years.%0D%0A%0D%0Acommon guppies: 3.1x2 + 6x + 0.3%0D%0A%0D%0AEndler’s guppies: 4.2x2 – 5.2x + 1%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat polynomial models the total number of common and Endler’s guppies?

Answer 1

To find the polynomial that models the total number of common and Endler's guppies, we need to add the polynomials for each species.

Common guppies: 3.1x^2 + 6x + 0.3
Endler's guppies: 4.2x^2 - 5.2x + 1

Adding the two polynomials together, we get:

(3.1 + 4.2)x^2 + (6 - 5.2)x + (0.3 + 1)

Simplifying, we have:

7.3x^2 + 0.8x + 1.3

Therefore, the polynomial that models the total number of common and Endler's guppies is 7.3x^2 + 0.8x + 1.3.