The expression can be used to determine the size of a population that grows over a period of time. What does 500 represent in the expression?

1.

the amount of time necessary to double

2.

the initial size of the population

3.

the final size of the population

4.

the rate at which the population is growing

The expressions that show the growth of the population in a period of time are given by:

y = A (b) ^ x

Where,

A: initial population

b: the rate at which the population grows

x: period of time

y: final population

In this case, 500 must be the initial population amount due to the order of magnitude of the number.

Answer:

2.

the initial size of the population