Exponential functions help us understand just how fast a viral infection can spread. It’s really interesting! Here’s how it works:
Initial Infection: When one person catches the virus, they can pass it on to several others.
Doubling: If each person who is infected spreads it to two new people, the number of infections can double every single day. This can be shown with the function (N(t) = N_0 \cdot 2^t). In this equation, (N_0) is the number of people who were infected at the start, and (t) represents the days that have passed.
Rapid Growth: Because of this, we see a fast increase in the number of cases. That’s why viruses can spread so quickly.
Understanding this is really important. It helps us see why we need to take steps to prevent infections in real life!
Exponential functions help us understand just how fast a viral infection can spread. It’s really interesting! Here’s how it works:
Initial Infection: When one person catches the virus, they can pass it on to several others.
Doubling: If each person who is infected spreads it to two new people, the number of infections can double every single day. This can be shown with the function (N(t) = N_0 \cdot 2^t). In this equation, (N_0) is the number of people who were infected at the start, and (t) represents the days that have passed.
Rapid Growth: Because of this, we see a fast increase in the number of cases. That’s why viruses can spread so quickly.
Understanding this is really important. It helps us see why we need to take steps to prevent infections in real life!