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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