Math question

[articx]

Do you know the answer to this question below?


There are seven amoebae in a jar. They double every minute. If it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar, how long would it take to fill the jar half-way?

[Valerie1979]

 if they double every minute it would be 1/2 full at 39 minutes

[mc1962]

20 minutes?  I think that is the answer- because it dosent matter whats inside the jar, if it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar then it should take 20 minutes to get half way.  Just a guess. 

[cubarican210]

Do you know the answer to this question below?


There are seven amoebae in a jar. They double every minute. If it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar, how long would it take to fill the jar half-way?

If I got it right It would be at 39 minutes.

At 40 minutes there would be a total of 7,696,581,394,432 Amoeba in the jar
At 39 minutes there would be 3,848,290,697,216 Amoeba which is half of the total number. Now the question is how large is the jar? Lol!

[oonamas]

20 minutes?  I think that is the answer- because it dosent matter whats inside the jar, if it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar then it should take 20 minutes to get half way.  Just a guess. 

That's not the answer because the amoeba are growing exponentially. When the amoeba double the new amoeba then also start doubling and so forth, so the jar starts out with the amoeba population growing more slowly and ends with it growing very rapidly, get it?

[U2BMATH]

Stands to reason that 39 minutes is the correct answer. Because at 39 minutes, assuming the jar is half full, it will double in size on minute 40, thus making the jar full.

[SCarter984]

This is far too deep for me but I'll take a shot.  20 minutes?  Are you giving the correct answer at some point?

[kezalter]

if they double every minute it would be 1/2 full at 39 minutes

Good call.  I was initially thinking I'd have to do the actual maths to pinpoint it but obviously this is much better.

[Valerie1979]

This is far too deep for me but I'll take a shot.  20 minutes?  Are you giving the correct answer at some point?

why am i thinking we just answered someone's math homework or something -- maybe the person that posted this didn't even know the answer~!

[articx]

why am i thinking we just answered someone's math homework or something -- maybe the person that posted this didn't even know the answer~!

This was a bonus question that appeared on a quiz in my copyrights class. I turned in the quiz and was told the answer before posting the question here.

This is far too deep for me but I'll take a shot.  20 minutes?  Are you giving the correct answer at some point?

Yes I will. The correct answer is 39 minutes.

[Valerie1979]

why am i thinking we just answered someone's math homework or something -- maybe the person that posted this didn't even know the answer~!

This was a bonus question that appeared on a quiz in my copyrights class. I turned in the quiz and was told the answer before posting the question here.

This is far too deep for me but I'll take a shot.  20 minutes?  Are you giving the correct answer at some point?

Yes I will. The correct answer is 39 minutes.

  thanks!   

[mrsbluesmith]

20 minutes?  I think that is the answer- because it dosent matter whats inside the jar, if it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar then it should take 20 minutes to get half way.  Just a guess. 

I agree.  I think 20 minutes is the correct answer,

[articx]

20 minutes?  I think that is the answer- because it dosent matter whats inside the jar, if it takes 40 minutes to fill the jar then it should take 20 minutes to get half way.  Just a guess. 

I agree.  I think 20 minutes is the correct answer,

At 39 minutes, the jar is half full. In the next minute, they double, which means the jar would be filled at 40 minutes. 39 minutes is the correct answer.

[Brittney030208]

39 is the right answer.

It is very simply explained many times lol. Love the question!

[hephzibahpotoak]

what is the answer?