S(t) for 100 cigarette smokers w/5 min cigarette/30 min

[morrobay]

100 cigarette smokers in sucession light up a cigarette each 5 minutes, so after 500 min
all have lite up. Each cigarette lasts 5 min.
During this time period and for an extended time , each smoker from time of last cigarette
lites up every 30 min for a 5 min smoke.
What would the function, S(t) be ?
How many of the 100 are smoking at any time (t) ?

If it was steady state it could be 5min * 100/30 min
But maby it is periodic

 

[pmsrw3]

Homework?

 

[gsal]

When does time start?
You know, is t=0 when the first smoker lights up his cigarette?
Or is it t=0 when time starts and THEN on the 5 min mark the first smoker lights up his cigarette?

In the first case, you only need 495 minute until all 100 smokers light up their cigarettes.

In any case, you need to plot one line per smoker that represent their smoking rate...if they all smoke at the same rate their slopes are the same, but they cross the x-axis at different points since they started to smoke at different times...

...then, you need to plot a vertical line at some point to help you figure out how many smokers are smoking at any given time...

hope this helps.