Discover the best answers to your questions with the help of IDNLearn.com. Our platform provides detailed and accurate responses from experts, helping you navigate any topic with confidence.

Select the correct answer.

Paul is gathering data about moss growth in a local forest. He measured an area of 11 square centimeters on one particular tree and will come back in 6 months to measure the growth of the moss. If the area covered by moss multiplies by one and a half times each month, approximately how much area will the moss cover when Paul returns?

A. [tex]$14.7 \, cm^2$[/tex]
B. [tex]$16.5 \, cm^2$[/tex]
C. [tex]$125.3 \, cm^2$[/tex]
D. [tex]$99.1 \, cm^2$[/tex]


Sagot :

To solve this problem, let’s start by understanding how exponential growth works. The area covered by moss increases each month by multiplying by a growth rate. In this scenario, the initial area of the moss is 11 square centimeters, and the growth rate is 1.5 times per month over a span of 6 months.

The formula to find the final area after exponential growth is given by:
[tex]\[ \text{Final Area} = \text{Initial Area} \times (\text{Growth Rate})^{\text{Number of Months}} \][/tex]

Plugging in the given values:
[tex]\[ \text{Initial Area} = 11 \, \text{cm}^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Growth Rate} = 1.5 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Number of Months} = 6 \][/tex]

So, the calculation is:
[tex]\[ \text{Final Area} = 11 \times (1.5)^6 \][/tex]

Following through with the calculation:
1. Calculate \( 1.5^6 \)
2. Multiply the result by 11

After performing the necessary calculations, we arrive at the final area as approximately \( 125.3 \, \text{cm}^2 \).

Thus, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{125.3 \, \text{cm}^2} \][/tex]
which corresponds to option:
C. [tex]\(125.3 \, \text{cm}^2\)[/tex]