A biologist is comparing the growth of a population of flies per week to the number of flies a lizard will consume per week. She has devised an equation to solve for which day (x) the lizard would be able to eat the entire population. The equation is 3x = 5x - 1. However, she has observed that the lizard cannot eat more than seven flies in one week.

Explain to the biologist how she can solve this on a graph using a system of equations. Identify any possible constraints to the situation. (10 points)

Question

A biologist is comparing the growth of a population of flies per week to the number of flies a lizard will consume per week. She has devised an equation to solve for which day (x) the lizard would be able to eat the entire population. The equation is 3x = 5x - 1. However, she has observed that the lizard cannot eat more than seven flies in one week.

Explain to the biologist how she can solve this on a graph using a system of equations. Identify any possible constraints to the situation. (10 points)

anonymous · Answer

$$3^{x} = 5x - 1$$

anonymous · Answer

So can you plot that onto a graph?

zpupster · Answer

graph y=3^x and y=5x-1 at desmos.com and look for intersecting points