How do bacteria multiply?
By simple cell division.
What is binary fission?
When one bacterial cell divides into two.
What is the equation for number of bacteria/number of rounds of division?
2^n
When can bacteria carry out binary fission?
Every twenty minutes as long as they have enough nutrients and the temperature is suitable.
Under ideal conditions, a type of bacterium divides every twenty minutes. Calculate the number of bacteria present after three hours.
3 hours = 180 minutes.
180/20 = 9 rounds of division.
Number of bacteria = 2^9
= 512 or 5.2 x 10^2
Under ideal conditions, a type of bacterium divides every twenty minutes. Calculate the number of bacteria present after eight hours.
8 hours = 480 minutes.
480/20 = 24 rounds of division.
Number of bacteria = 2^24
= 16,777,216 or 1.678 x 10^7 to 3dp.
