- #1
crybllrd
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Homework Statement
The number of yeast cells in a laboratory culture increases rapidly at first but levels off eventually. The population is modeled by the function below
[tex]n=f(t)=\frac{a}{1+be^{-t}}[/tex]
where t is measured in hours. at time t=0 the population is 20 cells and is increasing at a rate of 10 cells/hour.
(a) Find a and b.
(b) According to the model, what happens to the population in the long run?
Homework Equations
[tex]\frac{dr}{dt}=10,\ t=0,\ n=20.[/tex]
The Attempt at a Solution
(a) For a,
[tex]20=\frac{a}{1+be^{}-(0)}[/tex]
[tex]a= 20+20b[/tex]
I am not sure how to find b. I am assuming I will need to take the derivative of something, but I am not sure what or why.
(b) I think that after I find b, i will see a horizontal asymptote that the function will approach.