Answer :
Using an exponential function, it is found that the multiplier that would allow you to predict the population of bacteria after 2 hours is of 9.
What is an exponential function?
An exponential function is modeled by:
[tex]y = ab^x[/tex]
In which:
- a is the initial value.
- b is the growth rate.
In this problem, the bacteria triples every hour, hence the rate of change is b = 3, and the equation is:
[tex]y = a(3)^x[/tex]
Hence, after 2 hours:
[tex]y = a(3)^2 = 9a[/tex]
Which means that the multiplier is of 9.
More can be learned about exponential functions at https://brainly.com/question/25537936
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