standard_description: Multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison.
problem_activity: Task
In a carefully controlled biology lab, a population of 100 bacteria reproduces via binary fission. That is, every hour, on the hour, each bacteria splits into two bacteria. Assuming no bacteria deaths, find an expression for the number $P(t)$ of bacteria in the population after $t$ hours.
In the next lab over, a population of protists reproduces hourly according to multiple fission. The function which gives the population of protists after $t$ hours is $$P(t)=50\cdot 3^t.$$ Interpret the significance of the numbers 50 and 3 in the context of the biological experiment.


aligns: no