A population of bacteria doubles every 3 hours. If the initial population is 500, how many bacteria are present after 12 hours?

Tue, 05 May 2026 02:00:35 +0000

Title: How Bacteria Multiply: Understanding Population Growth Over Time When studying bacterial growth, one of the most fascinating and exponential patterns observed is the doubling time — a concept critical in microbiology, medicine, and biotechnology. The scenario “a population of bacteria doubles every 3 hours” is not just a textbook example — it’s a real-world phenomenon that helps scientists predict and control microbial growth in health, food safety, and industrial applications. ### What Does It Mean for Bacteria to Double Every 3 Hours? Bacterial doubling time refers to the period it takes for a population to double in size under ideal conditions. In this case, if a culture starts with 500 bacteria and doubles every 3 hours, the population grows predictably: after 3 hours, 1,000; after 6 hours, 2,000; and so on.