Solve the problem. Round to the nearest cent as needed.
-The bacteria in a 11-liter container double every 2 minutes. After 53 minutes the container is full. How long did it take to fill a quarter of the container?
A) 13.3 min
B) 26.5 min
C) 49 min
D) 39.8 min

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bacteria double every 2 minutes, so to fill the container to a quarter of its capacity, it would be full 2 minutes before being completely full. Since it takes 53 minutes to fill, subtracting 2 minutes gives 51 minutes to reach a quarter full. However, the question asks for the time to fill a quarter from the start, not from full. The bacteria's growth is exponential, and to find when the container was a quarter full, we consider the doubling time. If the container is full at 53 minutes, it was half full at 53 - 2 = 51 minutes, and a quarter full at 51 - 2 = 49 minutes.

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