A biologist took a count of the number of migrating waterfowl at a particular lake, and recounted the lakes population of waterfowl on each of the next six weeks. Find a quadratic function that models the data as a function of x, the number of weeks. Use the model to estimate the number of waterfowl at the lake on week 8.
week 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
population 635 644 719 860 1,067 1,340 1,769

Answer :

Quadratic function ( in standard form ):
y = a x² + b x + c
x = 0:
635 = 0 + 0 + c
c = 635
x = 1:
644 = a + b + 635
a + b = 9
x = 2:
719 = 4 a + 2 b + 635
4 a + 2 b = 84
and now we have a system:
a + b = 9   /  * ( - 2 )
4 a + 2 b = 84
-------------------------
- 2 a + 2 b = - 18
+
  4 a + 2 b  = 84
-------------------------
   2 a = 66
  a = 33;   b = - 24;
  Function is:
  f ( x ) = 33 x² - 24 x + 635
 f ( 8 ) = 33 * 64 - 24 * 8 + 635 = 2,112 - 192 + 635 = 2,555
  Answer: The number of waterfowl on week 8 would be 2,555. 
   

The number of waterfowl on 8 week would be [tex]\boxed{2555}[/tex].

Further explanation:

The general form of the quadratic equation is given by,

[tex]\boxed{a{x^2} + bx + c}[/tex]

Here, a is the coefficient of [tex]{x^2}[/tex], b is the coefficient of [tex]x[/tex] and [tex]c[/tex] is the constant term.

Given:

The population of the lake in 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 week is 635, 644, 719, 860, 1067, 1340 and 1769 respectively.

Calculation:

Consider [tex]x[/tex] denote the number of weeks.

Quadratic function that models the data as the function of [tex]x[/tex] can be expressed as,

[tex]\boxed{N=a{x^2}+bx +c}[/tex]

Here, [tex]N[/tex] denotes the population in [tex]{n^{th}}[/tex] week.

The population of lake in the beginning is 635. Therefore, value of [tex]x[/tex] is zero and value of [tex]N[/tex] is 635.

Substitute [tex]0[/tex] for [tex]x[/tex] and [tex]635[/tex] for [tex]N[/tex] in quadratic equation [tex]N = a{x^2} + bx + c[/tex].

[tex]\begin{aligned} 635&=a{\left(0\right)^2}+b\left( 0 \right)+c\\ 635&=0+0+c\\ 635&=c\\\end{aligned}[/tex]

The population of lake after one week is [tex]644[/tex]. Therefore, value of [tex]x[/tex] is one and value of [tex]N[/tex] is [tex]644[/tex].

Substitute [tex]1[/tex] for [tex]x[/tex] and [tex]644[/tex] for [tex]N[/tex] in quadratic equation [tex]N = a{x^2} + bx + c[/tex].

[tex]\begin{aligned} 644 &= a{\left( 1 \right)^2} + b\left( 1 \right) + c \\ 644 &= a + b + c \\ 644 &= a + b + 635 \\ 644 - 635 &= a + b \\ 9 &= a + b \\\end{aligned}[/tex]

The population of lake after two week is [tex]719[/tex]. Therefore, value of [tex]x[/tex] is two and value of [tex]N[/tex] is [tex]719[/tex].

Substitute 2 for [tex]x[/tex] and 719 for [tex]N[/tex] in quadratic equation [tex]N = a{x^2} + bx + c[/tex].

[tex]\begin{aligned} 719 &= a{\left( 2 \right)^2} + b\left( 2 \right) + c \\ 719 &= 4a + 2b + 635 \\ 719 - 635 &= 4a + 2b \\ 84 &= 2\left( {2a + b} \right) \\ \frac{{84}}{2} &= \left( {2a + b} \right) \\ 42 &= \left( {2a + b} \right) \\ \end{aligned}[/tex]

Solve the equation [tex]a + b = 9[/tex] to obtain the value [tex]a[/tex].

[tex]a = 9 - b[/tex]

Substitute [tex]9 - b[/tex] for in equation [tex]42 = 2a + b[/tex].

[tex]\begin{aligned} 42 &= 2\left( {9 - b} \right) + b \\42 &= 18 - 2b + b \\ 42 - 18 &=- b \\24 &=- b\\- 24 &= b \\ \end{aligned}[/tex]

Substitute [tex]-24[/tex] for [tex]b[/tex] in equation [tex]a = 9 - b[/tex] to obtain the value of a.

[tex]\begin{aligned}a&= 9-\left( {-24} \right) \\&= 9+24\\&= 33 \\\end{aligned}[/tex]

To obtain the quadratic function substitute 33 for a, -24 for b and 635 for c in equation [tex]N = a{x^2} + bx + c[/tex].

[tex]N = 33{x^2} - 24x + 635[/tex]

Substitute 8 for [tex]x[/tex] in above equation to obtain the number of waterfowl at the lake after week [tex]8[/tex].

[tex]\begin{aligned} N &= 33{\left( 8 \right)^2} - 24\left( 8 \right) + 635 \\ &=33\left( {64} \right) - 192 + 635 \\ &= 2112 - 192 + 635 \\ &= 2555 \\ \end{aligned}[/tex]

The number of waterfowl on [tex]8[/tex] week would be [tex]\boxed{2555}[/tex].

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Answer details:

Grade: Middle School

Subject: Mathematics

Chapter: Quadratic equation

Keywords: quadratic equation, polynomial, square root, real numbers, coefficients, constant term, general form of quadratic equation, waterfowl, lake, population, migrating, a biologist, model, estimate, week, recounted, function.

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