41.
Exponential Growth and Decay – Classwork
Consider the statement: “the rate of change of some quantity is directly proportional to its current value.”
That is like saying the more money you have, the faster it will grow. Or, the more you scratch an insect bite,
the worse it will get. Or, the more addicted someone is to a substance, the worse the addiction gets. These are
all examples of exponential growth.
The statement: the rate of change of some quantity P is directly proportional to P can be translated:
dP
Quantity: P rate of change of P: directly proportional: multiplied by a constant k
dt
So, the rate of change of some quantity P is directly proportional to P translates to the differential equation
dP
= kP where k is called the growth (or decay) constant. Let’s solve the DEQ:
dt
dP The statement: the rate of change of some quantity P
= kP DEQ
dt is directly proportional to P is translated to the differential
∫ ∫
dP
= k dt Separate and Integrate equation
dP
= kP which has the solution P = Ce kt or P = P0 e kt .
P dt
ln P = kt + C Perform the integration When k > 0, P is growing exponentially. When k < 0, P is
P=e kt+C
Write exponentially decaying exponentially. Memorize these facts.
P = e kt ⋅ eC Split into 2 factors
P = Ce kt
eC is a constant
P = P0 e kt When t = 0, P = C.
We call C : P0
Solving an exponential growth or decay problem usually means to find the equation P = Ce kt that describes it.
That means determining C (or P0 ) and the growth or decay constant k. There is no real calculus involved. All
dP
the calculus came from the solution of the DEQ = kP to P = Ce kt .
dt
1) When driving, you run over a nail. As the air leaks out of the tire, the rate of change of air pressure in pounds
per square inch (psi) inside the tire is directly proportional to the current pressure. So at the time of the
puncture, the pressure is high, so air escapes quickly. As time goes on, there is less air in the tire, so air
escapes less quickly.
a) The tire pressure is 45 psi and decreasing by b) What will the pressure be 10 minutes after the tire
0.36 psi/min at the time the nail is struck, was punctured?
write and solve the DEQ.
P = 45e −0.008(10) = 41.540 psi
c) The car is safe to drive as long as the pressure is 20 psi
dP
= kP or greater. How long is the car safe to drive?
dt
−0.36 = 45k ⇒ k = −0.008 20 ln ( 20 45 )
−0.008t 20 = 45e−0.008t ⇒ = e−0.008t ⇒ t = = 101.366 min
P = 45e 45 −0.008
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2) Bacteria in a lab culture grows in such a way that the instantaneous rate of change of bacteria is directly
proportional to the number of bacteria present. Suppose there are 3 million bacteria initially and three hours
later, that number has doubled.
a) Write and solve the differential equation b) What will the bacteria population be one full day
that describes the relationship.41a after the first measurement? 41b
dP
= kP ⇒ P = P0 e kt ⇒ P = 3e kt
dt
ln 2
6 = 3e3k ⇒ 2 = e3k ⇒ k = = 0.231 P = 3e 0.231(24) ≈ 768 million
3
P = 3e 0.231t
c) How long will it take for the population d) Why isn’t the world inundated with bacteria?
to grow from 1 billion to 2 billion?
Calculations not necessary as it takes Exponential growth cannot continue forever. The more
3 hours for the population to double. bacteria, the less food there is and they will die.
3) A manufacturing company determines that once it started a new TV advertising campaign, its monthly
change of sales was proportional to the current monthly sales. In January, it sold 5,000 units and in April, it
sold 7,000 units.
a) Write and solve the differential equation b) How long did it take for sales to go from 10,000
that describes the relationship. to 15,000?
January = 0, April = 3
ln 2
dS 10 = 5e 0.1122t ⇒ t = = 6.180 months to hit 10,000
= kS ⇒ S = S0 e kt 0.1122
dt
ln 3
S = 5e kt ⇒ 7 = 5e3k 15 = 5e 0.1122t ⇒ t = = 9.795 months to hit 15,000
0.1122
ln1.4
1.4 = e3k ⇒ k = = 0.1122 3.6 months to go from 10,000 to 15,000
3
P = 5e 0.1122t
4) Radioactive decay is measured in terms of half-life, the number of years for half of the atoms in radioactive
material to decay. The rate of which radioactive material decays is proportional to the amount present. If
8 grams of the plutonium isotope Pu-239 was released in the Chernobyl nuclear accident, how long will it
take to decay to 1 gram if Pu-239 has a half-life of 24,360 years?
dR
= kR ⇒ R = R0 ekt ⇒ R = 8e kt
dt 1 = 8e−0.00002845t
ln0.5 1
4 = 8e24360k ⇒ 0.5 = e24360k ⇒ k = = −0.00002845 = e−0.00002845t
24360 8
P = 8e−0.00002845t ln (1 8)
t= = 73,080 years
−0.00002845
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