Is this how to find the formula?

[allegansveritatem]

Here is the problem:


Here is what I did:


Is this correct, or am I walking, uncovenanted, down the dark paths of error?

 

[Dr.Peterson]

How about telling us, in words, what you are thinking at each step here?

In particular, what does x mean (apparently two different things)? Are you following some procedure you were taught, or just feeling your way around?

Tell us what each equation you wrote means, and what you are doing from one to the next. That will help a lot in uncovering wrong thinking.

 

[allegansveritatem]

My procedure is, I guess, reductive. I have two unknowns I need to know. First I find the factor that will turn 1000 into 600. then I need to know what exponents I can put over 6/10--said factor--that will allow 6/10 to continue turning 10000 into 600. Once I have those exponents, one of which is a constant and the other is represented by the variable t, then I have my formula in the form asked for, namely N=No times .6 ^ .3t

 

[Steven G]

1st of all you know N₀, as it is the starting amount. Does your formula work for N(3) =600? Did you check that?

 

[allegansveritatem]

1st of all you know N₀, as it is the starting amount. Does your formula work for N(3) =600? Did you check that?

well, actually, as I set it up, i.e., .6^.3t, I would get the wrong answer by some 30 trout. but that is because I put .3 where I should have put .33333. and if I had done that I would get a very very close approximation to 600.