Understanding the Population Growth Function

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 118 views

Understanding the Population Growth Function

The function for finding the population growth in a particular city is given by $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ . This function represents the population of the city at time $t$ , where $t$ is measured in years. The function is an exponential function, which means that the population grows at a constant rate over time.

Breaking Down the Function

To understand the rate of increase, we need to break down the function and identify its components. The function can be written as:

$f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$

Here, $120$ is the initial population, and $(1.15)^t$ represents the growth factor. The growth factor is the ratio of the population at time $t$ to the initial population.

Identifying the Rate of Increase

The rate of increase is the constant rate at which the population grows over time. To find the rate of increase, we need to identify the value of the growth factor. In this case, the growth factor is $(1.15)^t$ . To find the rate of increase, we need to find the value of the growth factor when $t = 1$ .

Calculating the Rate of Increase

To calculate the rate of increase, we substitute $t = 1$ into the growth factor:

$(1.15)^1 = 1.15$

This means that the population grows by a factor of $1.15$ every year. To find the rate of increase, we need to subtract $1$ from the growth factor:

$1.15 - 1 = 0.15$

Therefore, the rate of increase is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rate of increase of the population growth function $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year. This means that the population of the city grows by $15\%$ every year.

Key Takeaways

The population growth function is an exponential function that represents the population of a city at time $t$ .
The growth factor is the ratio of the population at time $t$ to the initial population.
The rate of increase is the constant rate at which the population grows over time.
The rate of increase can be found by identifying the value of the growth factor and subtracting $1$ from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the population growth function?

A: The population growth function is given by $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ .

Q: What is the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year.

Q: How do I calculate the rate of increase?

A: To calculate the rate of increase, you need to identify the value of the growth factor and subtract $1$ from it.

Q: What is the significance of the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase represents the constant rate at which the population grows over time. It is an important factor in understanding the population growth of a city.

References

[1] "Exponential Functions". Math Open Reference.
[2] "Population Growth". Khan Academy.

Discussion

Understanding the Population Growth Function

Q&A Session

Q: What is the population growth function?

A: The population growth function is given by $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ .

Q: What is the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year.

Q: How do I calculate the rate of increase?

A: To calculate the rate of increase, you need to identify the value of the growth factor and subtract $1$ from it.

Q: What is the significance of the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase represents the constant rate at which the population grows over time. It is an important factor in understanding the population growth of a city.

Q: Can you explain the concept of exponential growth?

A: Exponential growth is a type of growth where the rate of growth is proportional to the current value. In the case of the population growth function, the population grows at a constant rate of $15\%$ per year.

Q: How does the population growth function change over time?

A: The population growth function changes over time because the growth factor is raised to the power of $t$ . This means that the population grows at a constant rate, but the actual population value increases over time.

Q: Can you provide an example of how to use the population growth function?

A: Let's say we want to find the population of the city after $5$ years. We can plug in $t = 5$ into the population growth function:

$f(5) = 120(1.15)^5$

Using a calculator, we get:

$f(5) = 120(1.15)^5 \approx 242.51$

So, the population of the city after $5$ years is approximately $242.51$ .

Q: What are some real-world applications of the population growth function?

A: The population growth function has many real-world applications, such as:

Modeling population growth in cities or countries
Predicting population growth in the future
Understanding the impact of population growth on resources and infrastructure
Developing policies to manage population growth

Q: Can you provide some tips for working with exponential functions?

A: Here are some tips for working with exponential functions:

Make sure to identify the base and the exponent
Use the properties of exponents to simplify the expression
Use a calculator to evaluate the expression
Be careful when working with negative exponents

Conclusion

In conclusion, the population growth function $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ is an important tool for understanding population growth in cities or countries. The rate of increase is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year, and the function can be used to predict population growth in the future. We hope this Q&A session has been helpful in understanding the population growth function and its applications.

Key Takeaways

The population growth function is an exponential function that represents the population of a city at time $t$ .
The growth factor is the ratio of the population at time $t$ to the initial population.
The rate of increase is the constant rate at which the population grows over time.
The population growth function can be used to predict population growth in the future.
The function has many real-world applications, such as modeling population growth and developing policies to manage population growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the population growth function?

A: The population growth function is given by $f(t) = 120(1.15)^t$ .

Q: What is the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase is $0.15$ or $15\%$ per year.

Q: How do I calculate the rate of increase?

A: To calculate the rate of increase, you need to identify the value of the growth factor and subtract $1$ from it.

Q: What is the significance of the rate of increase?

A: The rate of increase represents the constant rate at which the population grows over time. It is an important factor in understanding the population growth of a city.

References

[1] "Exponential Functions". Math Open Reference.
[2] "Population Growth". Khan Academy.

Discussion

What do you think about the population growth function and its applications? Do you have any questions or comments about this topic? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the discussion section below.