at 10:05 a.m., there are 2 microscopic bacteria cells in the bottle. how many cells will be in the bottle at…

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate time - interval

The time from 10:05 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. is 10 minutes. Assuming bacteria double at a constant rate per some time - unit (common in bacterial growth models). If we assume they double every 5 minutes (a common simplification, though not given explicitly, but we need a doubling - time assumption). In 10 minutes, there are 2 doubling - periods.

Step2: Use the doubling formula

The initial number of bacteria $N_0 = 2$. The formula for exponential growth in terms of doubling is $N = N_0\times2^n$, where $n$ is the number of doubling - periods. Here, $n = 2$ and $N_0=2$. So $N=2\times2^2$. $N = 2\times4=8$.

Answer:

C. 8