Logistic Modeling Practice

Name:______________________________

Date:____________

Recall the formula that we used to demonstrate a sequence that follows a logistical pattern:
rate
Pn
gPn 1 ( Maximum Pn 1 ) Pn 1
Maximum
When using this formula in conjunction with our calculator steps, we need to consider the
following comparisons with the new formula, what we saw with a geometric sequence, how we
read the formula out loud, and what we type into our calculator.
What we see
Pn

Pn 1
rate
Maximum
P1

What we saw
an

What we say
Term youre finding.

an1
ratio
a1

What we type
u ( n)

Previous Term.

u ( n 1)

Rate.
Maximum.
First Term.

% to decimal
Value of the limit.
u(nMin) = 1st term

1. Use what you know to answer identify the desired term in each situation.
a. Rate: 10%

Maximum: 400

b. Rate: 14%

Maximum: 4500

P1 = 2

P20 = _________

P1 = 3

P35 = _________
P18 = _________

c. Rate: 0.4

Maximum: 8000

P1 = 20

d. Rate: 0.65

Maximum: 750

P1 = 0

P50 = _________

2. A new ice cream shop opened in Tifton and 50 new customers showed up on the first day
of business. Once the word got out, the amount of new customers grew exponentially at a
rate of 13% per day. The city of Tifton declared that the only customers that could obtain
access to the ice cream shop were the 16,000 local Tiftonites.
a. Why does this scenario represent a logistic function?
b. Write a recursive formula that would represent this logistic curve.

c. How many new customers total would have been to the ice cream shop after 25 days?
d. How many days would it take for everybody in Tifton to have tried the new ice cream
shop?
3. Ivory is a very sought after material around the world. Unfortunately, poachers are killing
elephants in order to steal the ivory from their tusks. During the first year of record
(1960), 10 elephants were killed for their ivory tusks. The death rate has grown
exponentially at a rate of 28% per year. Sadly, the elephant population has stopped
reproducing and only 10000 elephants existed prior to the poaching.
a. Write a recursive formula that represents this logistic scenario.

b. How many elephants would be left in 1990?

c. If this pattern continues, in what year would the elephants be extinct?
4. A zombie-like infection has crept into the hallways of TCHS. At 8:00 on day one of the
outbreak, 3 students showed zombie symptoms. By watching The Walking Dead, Mr.
Branson knew that the infection rate would grow at a rate of 15% per minute. There are a
total of 1541 students at TCHS.
a. Write a recursive formula that represents this scenario.

b. How many minutes would it take for 1000 students to be infected?

c. How many students would be infected by the start of 2nd block (9:35)?
d. At what time would all of the students be infected?