After viewing graphs of the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China and the U.S. ( Click here to see the graphs), I wondered if the cases in Colorado followed a similar pattern.

Here is the data for the first eighteen days from March 5, 2020 to March 22, 2020 in Colorado:

 

I gathered the data in the following table so that it can be used in this month's problem:

  Day     Cases  
0   2  
1   8  
2   8  
3   8  
4   12  
5   17  
6   34  
7   49  
8   77  
9   101  
10   131  
11   160  
12   183  
13   216  
14   277  
15   363  
16   475  
17   591  


Since it appears to be an exponential function, use the data for day #11 (160 cases) and day #15 (363 cases) to solve for A and B in the general exponential function

    y = A eB x .

Now take this equation that you just found and let x = 9, then solve for y to see how close the model is to the actual number of cases.

You must show your algebra to get credit.



            Send your solution by the end of the month to: David Pleacher