Beginning with a single bacterium, how many cells would be present after 4 hours of growth if they can double every 20 minutes?
A) 12
B) 24
C) 64
D) 4,096
E) 34,217,728

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bacteria double every 20 minutes, so in 4 hours (which is 240 minutes), they will double 12 times (240/20 = 12). Starting with 1 bacterium, the number of bacteria after 12 doublings is 2^12 = 4,096.

Beginning with a Single Bacterium, How Many Cells Would Be