At 12:35 pm,20 Salmonella enteritidis cells were present in the remains of a Caesar salad at a picnic.5 hours later,the picnic organizer ate the rest of the salad at home. S.enteritidis divides every 20 minutes; how many cells (Nt)were consumed if Nt = N(2ⁿ)?

Question

At 12:35 pm,20 Salmonella enteritidis cells were present in the remains of a Caesar salad at a picnic.5 hours later,the picnic organizer ate the rest of the salad at home.  S.enteritidis divides every 20 minutes; how many cells (Nt)were consumed if Nt = N(2ⁿ)?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bacteria divide every 20 minutes, so in 5 hours (300 minutes), there are 15 divisions (300/20). Using the formula Nt = N(2ⁿ), where N is the initial number of cells (20), and n is the number of divisions (15), we calculate Nt = 20 * 2^15 = 655,360 cells.

At 12:35 Pm,20 Salmonella Enteritidis Cells Were Present in the Remains