The relative growth rate for a certain type of bacteria population is 85% per hour. A small culture has formed and in just 2 hours the count shows to be 12,500 bacteria in the culture. What is the initial number of bacteria in the culture?

Show work if you can.

Answer: do 12500%85 u will get eh answer and i think u need to divide the total by 2

Initial populatin: 3652 bacteria

Step-by-step explanation:

The rate is 85% per hour.

Let x be the initial population.

After 1 hour:

x1=x+85%*x=x+0.85x=1.85 x

After another hour:

x2=x1+85%*x1=1.85 x1=1.85² x

But x2=12500.

12500=1.85² x

x=12500/1.85²=3652.3 bacteria

Since you cannot have fractions of a bacteria, the initial population was 3652.