Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
In a culture kept by Meera's class, each Paramecium divides by binary fission about every hours. The culture starts with cells. How many cells are there after days, if every cell keeps dividing?
Exponential growth: , with doubling time , or , with growth rate . They agree when . In Python: N0 * 2 ** (t / T) and N0 * np.exp(r * t); a loop doubles with N = 2 * N. On a log axis the growth is a straight line.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Doublings. doublings.
Step 2. Count. cells.
Answer: cells. In Python: 3 * 2 ** (48 / 8).
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