Question

a populations growth rate is the change in its population size per unit of time.
the naked mole rat population grew by approximately the same number of individuals every three months, so it had a constant growth rate. a population with a constant growth rate exhibits linear growth. on a graph, linear growth is modeled by a straight line.
naked mole rat population
complete the sentence.
the naked mole rat population had a growth rate of about __ mole rats every three months.
3 12 24 36

Explanation:

Step1: Identify data points

From the graph, at \( t = 0 \) (initial time), population \( P = 24 \). At \( t = 3 \) months, \( P = 27 \).

Step2: Calculate growth rate

Growth rate every 3 months is the change in population over 3 months. So, \( 27 - 24 = 3 \). We can check with other points: at \( t = 6 \), \( P = 30 \), \( 30 - 27 = 3 \); at \( t = 9 \), \( P = 33 \), \( 33 - 30 = 3 \); at \( t = 12 \), \( P = 36 \), \( 36 - 33 = 3 \). So the growth rate is 3 every three months.

Answer:

3