MODULE 11

Nature of Mathematics:
Mathematics in our world
Mathematics is a language to describe a systematic thinking process. It can
also be viewed as tools to solve set of problems. It can also be associated
to arts to study patterns in specific sense or structures in general sense.

Objectives:
Upon completion of this module, you are expected to:
1. identify the patterns in nature and regularities in the world
2. articulate the importance of Mathematics in one’s life.
3. argue about the nature of Mathematics, what it is, how it is
expressed, represented and used.
4. express appreciation for Mathematics as a human endeavor.

1. Patterns in Nature
Patterns in nature are regularities that can be observed around us. In human history, it
is perhaps the ancient Greeks are the most known in studying patterns in their attempt
to explain regularities in nature.

Describing regular forms involves studying their symmetries.

Symmetry
The word symmetry comes from the Greek word symmetria, meaning “the same
measure”.

A symmetry of an object in the plane is a rigid motion of the plane that leaves the object
unchanged.

Intuitively, why does the spade in Figure 1a looks symmetric?

Answer: It looks the same from many positions. It has repeated parts.

1
This module is based from the book “Mathematics in the Modern World” by the Department of Mathematics and
Physics, CS, CLSU.
 (a) (b)
Figure 1. (a) Spade and (b) its repeated part colored gray. The line of symmetry is colored
red.

A repeated part of the spade in Figure 1 is colored gray. Flipping the spade along the red
line in Figure 1b leaves the spade unchanged. So we say the flipping motion is a symmetry
of the spade. This flipping motion is called reflectional symmetry (sometimes called
bilateral or mirror symmetry).

Reflectional symmetry
How to know that an object has reflectional symmetry?

Answer: If you fold a picture in half and both halves are exact mirror image of one
another, then the figure has a reflectional symmetry.

The fold is what we call the line or axis of symmetry.

In Figure 1, the line of symmetry of the spade is colored red.

Self-Assessment Question 1 (SAQ1).

The human body, animals like crabs, and insects like spiders exhibit reflectional
symmetries (Figure 2). Can you tell where their respective line of symmetry.

Figure 2. Human body, crab and spider with their respective lines of symmetry.
Example 2. The flower with four petals in Figure 3 has reflection symmetries. It has 4
lines of symmetry.

(a)

(b)
Figure 3. (a) A flower having multiple lines of symmetry. (b) The 4 lines of symmetry of
the flower with four petals in (a).

SAQ2. Can you tell if the objects in Figure 4 have reflectional symmetries? How many
lines of symmetry do they have?

(a) (b)
Figure 4. (a) Starfish; (b) Recycle symbol.

Rotational Symmetry
Rotational or radial symmetry is a rigid motion that makes an object look exactly the
same as it did before it was rotated about a fixed point, called the center.

The rotation must be less than 3600 . The number of times an object can be rotated is
called the order; and, the number of degrees through which an object is rotated so that
it still looks the same as it did before the rotation, is called the angle of rotation.
360𝑜
Let 𝑛 be the order then the smallest angle of rotation is given by 𝑛 .
Example 3. The recycle symbol in Figure 4b has a rotational symmetry. Its center of
rotation is colored red shown in Figure 5a.

How to know the order? Consider an arrow-like part and color it blue. After the first
rotation, it will be moved to the next arrow-like part. You need 3 rotations to arrive at
the starting position. (See Figure 5).

Its order is 3. The smallest angle of rotation is 360°/3 = 120°. We say that it has 120°
rotational symmetry. It also has 2(120°) = 240° rotational symmetry and 360° = 0°
rotational symmetry.

(a) (b) (c) (d)

starting position after 3 rotations
Figure 5. Determining the order of rotation in the recycle symbol. (b) Obtained by
applying 120° rotational symmetry to (a). (c) Obtained by applying 240° rotational
symmetry. (d) Obtained by applying 360° = 0° rotational symmetry

SAQ3. Does the flower with four petals in Figure 3 has rotational symmetry? How about
the starfish in Figure 4a? What is their respective order of rotation? What is their smallest
angle of rotation? What are their rotational symmetries?

Translation symmetry
Translations are transformations that slide objects along without rotating them
(Stewart, 1995). We say that a pattern has a translation symmetry if an object in the
pattern has been moved the same distance and the same direction. A translation also
preserves orientation.

Example 4. Foot prints of kangaroo shows translation symmetries. (See Figure 6a). If you
stretch a sea snake in a line, the pattern in its skin also exhibits translation symmetries.
(See Figure 6b).
(a) (b)
Figure 6. (a) Footprints of a kangaroo; (b) A sea snake2.

SAQ4. What other patterns in nature exhibits translation symmetry? Can you give one?

Spirals
A spiral is formed because of a property of growth known as self-similarity or scaling,
which means that the same shape is maintained (not of the same size) as the object
(creature) grows.

Example 5. Examples of objects with spirals are shown in Figure 7. Figure 7a shows a
satellite image when air spirals towards the eye of the typhoon in a low pressure system.
Both the nautilus shell in Figure 7b and the Dall sheep horn in 7c exhibit logarithmic spiral
(can be describe using logarithmic function).

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 7. Spirals in nature: (a) Satellite image of a typhoon3; (b) Cross-section of a
nautilus shell4; (c)The horns of a Dall Sheep5

SAQ5. What other objects in nature exhibit spiral pattern? Can you give one?

2
Jens Petersen, Image of a banded sea krait, Laticauda colubrina. Taken at Lembeh Straits, North Sulawesi,
Indonesia. Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_krait#/media/File:Laticauda_colubrina_Lembeh2.jpg.
3
Taken from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/132363676520672456/
4
Taken from www.ratemyscreensaver.com
5
Taken from http://www.patternsinnature.org/Book/Spirals.html
Tessellations
Tessellation (or tiling) is a pattern made up of one or more geometric shapes that are
joined together without overlaps or gaps to cover a plane.

Example 6. Examples of tessellations in nature are shown in Figure 8. Tessellations can

be observed from the honeycombs of bees, the snake skin laid down on a plane, the
shapes formed by the veins on a leaf, the cracked mud where the cracks are considered
as lines and not as gaps, and the patterns formed by tides on the sand.

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e)
Figure 8. Tessellations in nature: (a) Honeycomb6; (b) snake’s skin7; (c) leaf8; (d)
cracked mud9; (c) tidal10;

SAQ6. What symmetries can be observed on tessellations? Are there always symmetries
on them?

Fractals
A fractal is a never ending replication of a pattern at different scales (same shape but
different size). This property is called self-similarity.

6
Taken from http://www.spacemakeplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Honeycomb_pattern.jpg
7
Taken from http://www.spacemakeplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Snake_pattern.jpg
8
Taken from http://www.spacemakeplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Leaf_pattern.jpg
9
Taken from http://www.spacemakeplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CrackedMud_pattern.jpg
10
Taken from http://www.spacemakeplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Tidal_pattern.jpg
Example 7. Among the known fractal is the von Koch curve, named after its creator Neils
Fabian Helge von Koch.
The method to create this curve is to start with a single line segment. Divide the line
segment into three equal parts, remove the middle part and replace it with the two sides
of an equilateral triangle of length equal to the length of the segment that has been
removed. Then repeat the process to each of the resulting line segments. Figure 9 shows
the first four iterations of von Koch curve.

Figure 9. First four iterations of von Koch curve.11

SAQ7. Figure 10 shows the first three iterations Minkowski curve. How is the minkowski
curve constructed?

Figure 10. First three iterations of Minkowski curve.12

11
Figure taken from www.researchgate.net/figure/Koch-curve-at-iterations-from-0-to-4_fig1_316742654
12
Figure taken from www.researchgate.net/figure/Koch-curve-at-iterations-from-0-to-4_fig1_316742654
Example 8. Fractals in nature can be observed from the forming of rivers (see Figure 11a)
and from the forming of ice crystals (see Figure 11b). Even on a broccoli, fractals can
also be observed (see Figure 11c).

(a) (b)

(c)
Figure 11. Tessellations in nature: (a) Rivers forming treelike figures in the Desert of Baja
California, Mexico13; (b) Forming of ice crystals14; (c) Closeup photo of Romanesco
Broccoli15.

13
Taken from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/2012/4/baja-california-rivers/
14
Taken from https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2013/04/fractal-ice.jpg
15
Taken from https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2013/04/broccoli-1.jpg
Answers to SAQ

SAQ1. Their respective lines of symmetry are colored red.

SAQ2. (a) Starfish: Yes, it has reflectional symmetries. There are 5 lines of reflectional
symmetries. (b) Recycle symbol: no reflectional symmetry. No lines of symmetry.

SAQ3. (a) Flower with four petals: Yes, it has rotational symmetries. Its order of rotation
is 4. Its smallest angle of rotation is 360°/4 = 90°. Its rotational symmetries are 90°
rotational symmetry, 2(90°) = 180° rotational symmetry, 3(90°) = 270° rotational
symmetry and 4(90°) = 360° = 0° rotational symmetry.
(b) Starfish: Yes, it has rotational symmetries. Its order of rotation is 5. Its smallest angle
of rotation is 360°/5 = 72°. Its rotational symmetries are 72° rotational symmetry,
2(72°) = 144° rotational symmetry, 3(72°) = 216° rotational symmetry, 4(72°) = 288°
rotational symmetry and 5(72°) = 360° = 0° rotational symmetry.

SAQ4. Leaves, footprints, car tire prints.

SAQ5. Little florets in the head of a sunflower (with Fibonacci sequence spirals), shells of
snails, pine cone (with Fibonacci sequence spirals).

SAQ6. Tessellations sometimes exhibit reflectional, rotational or translation symmetry.

However, these symmetries are not always present in a tessellation. Sometime, a
tessellation does not have any symmetry at all.

SAQ7. The method to create this curve is to start with a single line segment. Divide the
line segment into four equal parts, remove the second and third part and replace it with
the three sides of a square (above the line for the second part and below the line for the
third part) of length equal to the length of the segment that has been removed. Then
repeat the process to each of the resulting line segments.
2. Numbers in Nature
Patterns in nature can be linked to some interesting known numbers or series of numbers.

Fibonacci sequence
Fibonacci created a problem that concerns the birth rate of rabbits. The problem is stated
as follows:
At the beginning of a month, you are given a pair of newborn rabbits.
After a month the rabbits have produced no offspring; however every
month thereafter, the pair of rabbits produces another pair of rabbits.
The offspring reproduce in exactly the same manner. If none of the
rabbit dies, how many pairs of rabbits will there be at the start of each
succeeding month?

The solution to the problem created by Fibonacci is a sequence of numbers called

Fibonacci sequence. Fibonacci then discovered that the number of pairs of rabbits for
any month after the first two months can be determined by adding the numbers of pairs
of rabbits in each of the two previous months. Figure 11 shows the number of pairs of
rabbits after the first 6 months.

The sequence of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89 … is called Fibonacci

sequence. The numbers in the sequence are called Fibonacci numbers.

Figure 11. Number of pairs of rabbits of the first 6 months. 16

16
Aufmann, R.N, et.al. (2008). Mathematical Excursions Third Edition. pp.19-20
Example 9. Fibonacci numbers can be observed in some patterns on sunflowers. The
little florets on the sunflower head has spirals (counterclockwise and clockwise). Some
sunflowers have 21 and 34 spirals; some have 55 and 89 or 89 and 144 depending on
the species. These pair of number of spirals forms two consecutive numbers of the
Fibonacci sequence. Figure 12 shows sunflower heads with 34 counterclockwise spirals
and 55 clockwise spirals.

(a) (b)
Figure 12. Sunflower Head Pattern with (a) counterclockwise spirals17 and (b) clockwise
spirals18.

However, this pattern is not true for all sunflowers. Using 657 sunflowers, Swinton et al.
(2016) found out that one in five flowers did not conform to the Fibonacci sequence.

Example 10. We can also find Fibonacci numbers in nature is in the number of petals
different flowers have. Some lilies and iris have three petals, gumamela and calachuchi
have five, some variety of sampaguita have eight, corn marigolds have 11, and some
daisies have 34, 55, or even 89 petals. Fibonacci numbers also appear in the arrangement
of leaves and branches in some plants.

SAQ8. Can you give other patterns in nature where we can find Fibonacci numbers?

Fibonacci Numbers and Golden Ratio

Golden ratio (also known as Divine Proportion) exists when a line is divided into two
parts and the ratio of the longer part “𝑎” to shorter part “𝑏” is equal to the ratio of the
sum “𝑎 + 𝑏” to “𝑎”.

How to solve for the golden ratio? Denote the golden ratio by 𝜙. From the definition we
have
𝑎 𝑎+𝑏
= = 𝜙.
𝑏 𝑎

17
Taken from https://momath.org/home/fibonacci-numbers-of-sunflower-seed-spirals/spiralsred
18
Taken from https://momath.org/home/fibonacci-numbers-of-sunflower-seed-spirals/spiralsgreen/
We have
𝑎 𝑎+𝑏
𝜙= and 𝜙 = .
𝑏 𝑎
𝑎 1 𝑏
From 𝜙 = 𝑏 , we get = 𝑎.
𝜙
𝑎+𝑏
Now we use 𝜙 = .
𝑎
𝑎 𝑏
𝜙= +
𝑎 𝑎
𝑏
𝜙 = 1+
𝑎
1
𝜙 = 1+
𝜙
Multiply both sides by 𝜙
𝜙2 = 𝜙 + 1
𝜙2 − 𝜙 − 1 = 0
Solving this quadratic equation will give us
1 + √5
𝜙= = 1.6180339887 ⋯
2

The value of the Golden Ratio is given by the irrational number 𝜙 = 1.6180339887 … .

Any two successive numbers in the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34,
55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, … have a ratio very close to the golden ratio.

To show a few, consider the following.

5
= 1.6667
3
8
= 1.6000
5
13
= 1.6250
8
21
= 1.6154
13
If you continue, the ratio will get closer and closer to 1.618.

SAQ9. Will you search which other parts in nature can we find golden ratio?
Creating a Fibonacci Spiral
Do you know that spiral shapes also exhibit the Fibonacci sequence?
Here is where the Fibonacci numbers come in.
Starting with two 1 x 1 squares next to each other, draw a 2 x 2 square on top (or below)
of the two 1 x 1 squares to produce a 3 x 2 rectangle. Then we draw a 3 x 3 square next
to the 3 x 2 rectangle to produce a 5 x 3 rectangle. Next we draw a 5 x 5 square to
produce an 8 x 5 rectangle. Just continue adding squares and you will get sets of
rectangles (also called as golden rectangles since the length to width ratio is 𝜙 = 1.618 ⋯)
whose sides are two successive Fibonacci numbers in length and squares with sides which
are Fibonacci numbers (Figure 13). If we draw curves through the diagonal of each
square, we create a spiral-like shape known as Fibonacci spiral.

Figure 13. Fibonacci Rectangle19

The Fibonacci spiral on one hand is a good approximation of spirals that are present in
nature such as the nautilus shell (Figure 14a), hurricanes (Figure 14b), and the human
ear (Figure 14c).

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 14. Spirals that are Present in Nature20

19
Taken from http://i.stack.imgur.com/eHWK9.png
20
Taken from http://www.momtastic.com/webecoist/2012/10/29/the-golden-spiral-complex-geometries-in-nature/
The Number 𝒆
Approximately equal to 2.718281828459045 ⋯, the irrational number 𝑒 is often referred
to as Euler’s (pronounced “Oiler”) number after the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler
who introduced the letter 𝑒 for the constant. Euler also discovered many of its remarkable
properties including its being an irrational number.

The number 𝑒 is also referred to as Napier’s constant after John Napier who introduced
it earlier in a table of appendix for his work on logarithms. However, its discovery is
attributed to Jacob Bernoulli (not Euler nor Napier), when he tried to solve a problem
related to continuous compound interests.

Compound Interest
Interest is a payment charged for borrowing a money or an income for keeping a money
in a bank or making an investment. There are two ways to compute an interest: simple
and compound.

Simple interest is interest paid on the principal only.

For example you borrowed ₱1,000 at 5% annual interest rate for 2 years. If simple
interest is applied, you would pay an interest of ₱50 each year for two years. The amount
of interest will not change as long as no additional money is borrowed.

Compound interest on the other hand, is the addition of interest to the original
principal. In other words, the interest earned also earns interest.We see from our previous
discussion that money earning interest compounded continuously grows
exponentially. Thus, if compounding is continuous, the accumulated balance at the end
of a compounding period is given by
𝐴 = 𝑃𝑒 𝑟𝑡 (1)
where 𝐴 = accumulated balance after a time 𝑡
𝑃 = principal amount
𝑟 = interest rate in decimal
𝑡 = time in years
𝑒 = 2.718 (approximately)

Example 8.
Mary opened a savings account with ₱10,000.00 initial deposit. If the account earns 8%
interest, compounded continuously, how much would be her money after 3 years? How
much would be her money after 3 years if simple interest is applied?

Solution: It is given that 𝑃 = 10,000 pesos

𝑟 = 0.08
𝑡 = 3 years
(a) Substituting these values into (1), we have
𝐴 = 10,000𝑒 (0.08)3
𝐴 = 12,712.49

Hence, Mary’s money after 3 years would be ₱12,712.49.

SAQ10 Answer the second question.

Example 9.
How long will it take for ₱2,000 to double if it is deposited in a bank that pays 3.5%
interest rate compounded continuously?

Solution: It is given that 𝑃 = 2,000 pesos

𝑟 = 0.035
𝐴 = 4,000 pesos

Substituting these values into (1), we have

4,000 = 2,000𝑒 0.035𝑡
Divide both sides of the equation by 2,000
4,000 2,000𝑒 0.035𝑡
=
2,000 2,000
2 = 𝑒 0.035𝑡
0.035𝑡 =2
𝑒
Take the natural logarithm of both sides
ln𝑒 0.035𝑡 = ln 2
0.035𝑡 = ln 2
Divide both sides of the equation by 0.035
0.035𝑡 ln 2
=
0.035 0.035
𝑡 = 19.8 years
Hence, it will take 19.8 years for the intial deposit of Php4,000 to double at the given
interest rate.

SAQ11
Robert received a certain amount from his parents as graduation gift. Instead of spending
it, he opened an account that earns 3.5% interest compounded continuously. After 4
years, his account contains ₱20,000. How much did Robert receive from his parents as
graduation gift?
Population Growth
Mathematics also play a vital role in modeling the growth of population. Specifically, the
exponential and logarithmic functions are applied to describe the relationship between
time and population size. Different models had been formulated to project population
growth and one of these is the Malthusian growth model or simple exponential growth
model. It is named after Thomas Robert Malthus. The Malthusian model is applied in
obtaining population growth of bacteria and even of humans on the assumption that
resources are unlimited and the population has a continuous birth rate throughout time.
This model has the following form:
𝑃(𝑡) = 𝑃𝑜 𝑒 𝑟𝑡 (2)
where 𝑃(𝑡) = the population after time 𝑡
𝑃𝑜 = the initial population
𝑟 = the population growth rate in decimals
𝑡 = time
𝑒 = 2.718 (approximately)

Example 10.
According to United Nation estimates, the total population in the Philippines for the year
2018 is 106. 51 million, the 13 th largest in the world (Philippines Population, 2018).
Census data shows that the population growth rate is 1.52%. Using the Malthusian model,
project the population of the Philippines 5 years after.

Solution: It is given that 𝑃𝑜 = 106.51 million

𝑟 = 0.0152
𝑡 = 5 years

Substituting these values into (1), we have

𝑃 (5) = 106.51𝑒 0.0152(5)
= 114.92 million

Hence, there will be approximately 114.92 million people in the Philippines by 2023.

However, in real life, the population does not grow exponentially forever. If that happens,
the population of humans, animals and bacteria will become very very large to the point
that the population will outgrow the planet earth. In reality, the growth rate slows down
due to many factors such as diseases, calamity, limited resources, etc. For this reason,
Pierre Verhulst proposed in 1836 an alternate model that allows for a fact that there are
constraints in population growth. The model is known as logistic growth model and is of
the form:
 𝐾
𝑃 (𝑡 ) = (3)
1+𝐴𝑒 −𝑘𝑡

where 𝑃 (𝑡) = the population after time 𝑡

𝐾 = carrying capacity or limiting value
𝑘 = relative growth rate coefficient
𝐾−𝑃
𝐴= 𝑃 0
0
𝑃0 = the initial population at time 𝑡 = 0
Example 11.
The population of a certain species of fish is modeled by a logistic growth model with
relative growth rate of 𝑘 = 0.3 . One hundred fish are initially introduced into the pond
with maximum carrying capacity of 500. Assuming that fish are not harvested,
(a) estimate the number of fish in the pond after one year;
(b) estimate the time it will take for there to be 350 fish in the pond.

Solution: Since it is given that 𝑃0 = 100, the initial population

𝑘 = 0.3
𝐾 = 500 , the maximum carrying capacity of the pond
then,
𝐾 − 𝑃0
𝐴 =
𝑃0
𝐴 500 − 100
=
100
𝐴 =4
𝐾
Substituting these values in Formula (3), 𝑃(𝑡) = 1+𝐴𝑒−𝑘𝑡 , we have

500
(a) 𝑃 (1) = 1+4𝑒 −0.3(1)
= 126.15 fish
Since the actual number of fish must be a whole number, we round it off to 126. That is,
there will be 126 fish in the pond after one year.

(b) Since it is given that 𝑃(𝑡) = 350 which is the number of fish in the pond after time 𝑡,
then
500
350 =
1 + 4𝑒 −0.3(𝑡)
500
1 + 4𝑒 −0.3𝑡 =
350
10
1 + 4𝑒 −0.3𝑡 =
7
−0.3𝑡 10
4𝑒 = −1
7
3
4𝑒 −0.3𝑡 =
7
 4𝑒 −0.3𝑡 3
4 =7
4
−0.3𝑡 3
𝑒 =
28
Take the natural logarithm of both sides
3
ln 𝑒 −0.3𝑡 = ln
28
3
−0.3𝑡 = ln ( )
28
1 3
𝑡 = − 0.3 ln (28) = 7.45
Hence, it will take 7.45 years for the pond to have 350 fish.

SAQ12
Influenza B virus can be spread by direct transmission such as coughing, sneezing or
spitting. Suppose there is one pupil in a class of 50 children who was infected by the
virus. Assuming none of the children has flu vaccine before, estimate (Let the logistic
growth constant 𝑘 be equal to 0.6030).
(a) the number of children who will catch the virus after 3 days.
(b) estimate the time it will take for 30 children to catch the virus.

Exponential Decay
From the previous section we learned that a quantity exhibits exponential growth if it
increases continuously according to the model
𝑃 (𝑡) = 𝑃𝑜 𝑒 𝑟𝑡 .
On the other hand, if the quantity decreases continuously at a rate 𝑟, 𝑟 > 0, then we have
an exponential decay and it is modeled by the function

𝑃 (𝑡) = 𝑃𝑜 𝑒 −𝑟𝑡 (4)

where 𝑃 (𝑡) = the quantity at any time 𝑡

𝑃𝑜 = the initial quantity
𝑟 = rate of decay in decimals
𝑡 = time
𝑒 = 2.718 (approximately)

Notice that the models for exponential growth and exponential decay are of the
same form except for the negative sign in the exponent. Examples of exponential decay
are radioactive decay, radiocarbon dating, drug concentration in the blood stream and
depreciation value.
Example 12.
A certain radioactive element has an annual decay rate of 12%. If there is a 100 gram
sample of the element right now, how many grams will be left in 3 years? What is the
half-life of the said radioactive element?

Solution:
(a) It is given that 𝑃0 = 100 grams
𝑟 = 0.12
𝑡 = 3 years

Substituting these values into Formula (4), we have

𝑃 (3) = 100𝑒 (−0.12)(3)

= 69.77 grams

Hence after 3 years, there will only remain 69.77 grams.

(b) We want to find the time required for the amount of the radioactive element to
reduce to half its initial value. That is, we want to solve for 𝑡 when 𝑃(𝑡) = 50 grams.
Substituting this value into Formula (4), we have
50 = 100𝑒 (−0.12)𝑡
50 100𝑒 (−0.12)𝑡
=
100 100
0.5 (−0.12)𝑡
=𝑒
ln 0.5 = ln 𝑒 (−0.12)𝑡
ln 0.5 = (−0.12)𝑡 ln 𝑒
ln 0.5 = (−0.12)𝑡
ln 0.5 (−0.12)𝑡
=
−0.12 −0.12
ln 0.5
𝑡 =−
0.12
𝑡 = 5.8 years

Thus, the amount of radioactive element is reduced by 50% every 5.8 years.

SAQ13
Manny takes 500 mg of ibufropen to relieve pain from arthritis. Each hour, the amount
of ibufropen in his system decreases by 25%. How much ibufropen is left after 4 hours?
Answers to SAQ

SAQ10
Mary opened a savings account with ₱10,000.00 initial deposit. If the account earns 8%
interest, how much would be her money after 3 years if simple interest is applied?

Solution: If simple interest is applied, the account of Mary would earn

₱10,000.00(0.08) = ₱800 each year. In 3 years , she would earn ₱800(3) = ₱2,400.
So her account would have a total of ₱10,000 + ₱2,400 = ₱12,400.

SAQ11
Robert received a certain amount from his parents as graduation gift. Instead of spending
it, he opened an account that earns 3.5% interest compounded continuously. After 4
years, his account contains ₱23,005.48. How much did Robert receive from his parents
as graduation gift?

Solution:
23,005.48 = (𝑃)𝑒 0.035 (4)
23,005.48
=𝑃
𝑒 0.035 (4)
𝑃 = 20,000
Robert received ₱20,000.00 from his parents as graduation gift.

SAQ12
Influenza B virus can be spread by direct transmission such as coughing, sneezing or
spitting. Suppose there are two pupils in a class of 40 children who was infected by the
virus. Assuming none of the children has flu vaccine before, estimate (Let the logistic
growth constant 𝑘 be equal to 0.6030).
(a) the number of children who will catch the virus after 3 days.
(b) estimate the time it will take for 20 children to catch the virus.

Solution:
𝑃(3) = the population after 3 days
𝐾 = carrying capacity or limiting value = 40
𝑘 = relative growth rate coefficient = 0.6030
𝐾−𝑃
𝐴= 𝑃 0
0
𝑃0 = the initial population at 0 days =2
(a)
𝐾 − 𝑃0
𝐴 =
𝑃0
40 − 2
𝐴 = = 19
2

𝐾
𝑃(𝑡) =
1 + 𝐴𝑒 −𝑘𝑡
40
𝑃 (3) =
1 + 19𝑒 −0.6030(3)
𝑃(3) = 9.7264
𝑃 (3) ≈ 10 children

(b)
𝐾
𝑃(𝑡) =
1 + 𝐴𝑒 −𝑘𝑡
40
20 =
1 + 19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡)
40
1 + 19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) =
20
1 + 19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) = 2
19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) = 2 − 1
19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) = 1
19𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) 1
=
19 19
−0.6030(𝑡) 1
𝑒 =
19
Take the natural logarithm of both sides
1
ln(𝑒 −0.6030(𝑡) ) = ln ( )
19
1
−0.6030(𝑡) ln 𝑒 = ln ( )
19
1
−0.6030(𝑡) = ln ( )
19
−0.6030𝑡 1
ln (19)
−0.6030 = −0.6030
𝑡 = 4.8830 days
𝑡 ≈ 5 days
In 5 days, 20 children will catch the virus.

SAQ13
Manny takes 500 mg of ibufropen to relieve pain from arthritis. Each hour, the amount
of ibufropen in his system decreases by 25%. How much ibufropen is left after 4 hours?
Solution:
𝑃0 = 500 mg
𝑟 = 0.25
𝑡 = 4 hrs
𝑃 (𝑡 ) 𝑃0 𝑒 −𝑟𝑡
𝑃(4) = 500𝑒 (−0.25)(4)
𝑃(4) = 100𝑒 −1
𝑃(4) = 36.79 mg

After 4 hours there will only be 36.79 mg of ibufropen in his body.

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