Brain Teaser: Solve This Simple Problem

This brain teaser challenges you to determine when a virus reaches half its maximum population. Here's the scenario:

A virus doubles in size every day. It reaches its peak population on day 67.

Question: On what day does the virus reach half its maximum population?

Understanding Exponential Growth

This problem illustrates the concept of exponential growth. Exponential growth occurs when a quantity increases at a rate proportional to its current value. In this case, the virus population doubles every day, meaning it grows exponentially.

Solving the Problem

To solve this, we need to work backward from the final day (day 67). Since the virus doubles every day, it means that on day 66, the virus population was half its size on day 67 (the maximum population).

Answer

Therefore, the virus reaches half its maximum population on **day 66**.

Key Takeaway

This problem emphasizes the power of exponential growth. Even though the virus doubles every day, it takes a significant amount of time to reach its maximum population. Understanding exponential growth is crucial in various fields, including biology, finance, and computer science.

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