Answer :
Answer: Initial population = 500
Decay factor of population =0.80
Step-by-step explanation:
We know that , the general exponential function is given by :-
[tex]f(t)=Ab^x[/tex] ...(i)
Where , A = initial value
b= growth factor ( if b>1)
or b= decay factor ( if b<1)
x= Time perid
Given : A population of bacteria in a lab, p(t), can be modeled by the function [tex]p(t)=500(0.80)^t[/tex], where t represents the number of days since the population was first counted.
By comparing [tex]p(t)=500(0.80)^t[/tex] to (i) , we get
[tex]A=500\text{ and } b=0.80[/tex]
i..e Initial population = 500
Also as 0.80<1 , therefore we have decay factor of population =0.80