An invasive aquatic plant spreads across a lake.
a) The covered area doubles every \(5\) days and is initially \(1\,\text{m}^2\). Write a function \(A(t)\) for the area after \(t\) days.
b) Use \(2^{10}\approx10^3\) to estimate the area predicted by the unlimited model after \(50\) days and after \(100\) days.
c) The lake has an area of \(1\,\text{km}^2\). Estimate when half the lake, or \(500{,}000\,\text{m}^2\), is covered. Use \(500\approx2^9\).
d) Use logarithms to find an exact expression for the model time when half the lake is covered, then approximate it to the nearest hundredth of a day and compare it with the estimate from part c).
Hints
- Express the number of doubling intervals using \(t\) and the doubling time.
- Convert the lake area to square meters before comparing areas.
- For the estimate, combine the two supplied powers of \(2\).
- For the exact model time, keep the target value inside a logarithm instead of replacing it by a nearby power of \(2\).
Solution
1. Since the area doubles every \(5\) days, \(A(t)=2^{t/5}\).
2. \(A(50)=2^{10}\approx1000\,\text{m}^2\). Also, \(A(100)=2^{20}=(2^{10})^2\approx1{,}000{,}000\,\text{m}^2\). The second value is only a prediction of the unlimited model.
3. \(500{,}000=500\cdot1000\approx2^9\cdot2^{10}=2^{19}\). Thus, \(t/5\approx19\), so \(t\approx95\) days.
4. Solve \(2^{t/5}=500000\): \(t=\frac{5\ln(500000)}{\ln 2}\approx94.66\) days.
5. The estimate from part c) is about \(95-94.66=0.34\) day greater.
Answer
a) \(A(t)=2^{t/5}\)
b) \(A(50)\approx1000\,\text{m}^2\); \(A(100)\approx1{,}000{,}000\,\text{m}^2\)
c) About \(95\,\text{days}\)
d) \(t=\frac{5\ln(500000)}{\ln 2}\approx94.66\,\text{days}\); the estimate is about \(0.34\) day greater.