The total area, AAA hectares, affected by a wildfire is modelled by the formula A=abtA = ab^tA=abt where aaa and bbb are constants and ttt is the number of days after the fire was first detected at 6:00 AM on Monday. A graph of log10A\log_{10} Alog10A against ttt is plotted for the first 3 days. The data points form a straight line with a gradient of 0.14 and a vertical intercept on the log10A\log_{10} Alog10A axis of 0.85.
Determine the value of aaa and the value of bbb according to the model, rounding your answers to two decimal places.
Provide a practical interpretation of the constant aaa in the context of this model.
Use the model to estimate the area affected by the wildfire at 6:00 AM on the following Saturday.
Practise Edexcel A Level Maths Regression, Correlation and Hypothesis Testing with exam-style questions for A Level Maths. 100 questions covering Exponential Models, Measuring Correlation, and Hypothesis Testing for Zero Correlation, matched to the Edexcel A Level Maths (9MA0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.