A culture of bacteria has an initial population of 4300 bacteria and
doubles every 6 hours. Using the formula , where is the
population after hours, is the initial population, is the time in
hours and is the doubling time, what is the population of bacteria in the
culture after 19 hours, to the nearest whole number?

To find the population after 19 hours, we can substitute the values into the formula . Here , , and .

First, calculate . Now, calculate which is approximately 9.03.

Now plug it back into the equation:

Rounding this to the nearest whole number, the population after 19 hours is approximately 38829 bacteria.

Curious fact: Did you know that bacteria are among the faster multiplying organisms on the planet? Under ideal conditions, some can double in as little as 20 minutes! This rapid growth is one reason why they can cause infections so quickly if not kept in check.

For practical purposes, understanding bacterial growth can be essential in fields like microbiology and food safety. For instance, food preservation techniques often focus on slowing bacterial growth to prevent foodborne illnesses. Knowing how fast they multiply allows scientists and food safety experts to determine safe expiration dates or proper storage methods.