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growth and decay

mike mcgarry
lesson by mike mcgarry
magoosh expert
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word problems
summary
the content focuses on solving growth and decay word problems, a rare but potential question type on the gmat exam, emphasizing that all necessary mathematical information will be provided within the question.
  • growth and decay problems involve populations or samples increasing or decreasing over time.
  • these problems may touch on specialized scientific concepts, like radioactive decay, but don't require prior scientific knowledge.
  • the basic approach involves taking the given starting value and applying the specified multiplier or divider over the stated time intervals to find the final amount.
  • step-by-step calculation through each given time interval is crucial to solving these problems.
  • examples include calculating the remaining mass of a radioactive isotope after a series of half-life periods and determining the size of a bacteria population after several growth intervals.
chapters
00:00
understanding growth and decay problems
00:53
approach to solving growth and decay questions
01:25
practice problem analysis