The mean division time for a single bacterial cell is 20 minutes.Calculate how many times the bacteria will divide in six hours.

1. Break Down the Problem

To find out how many times a single bacterial cell will divide in six hours, we need to determine:

• The total time available for division (in minutes).
• The division time for each cell (20 minutes).
• The number of divisions occurring within the total time.

2. Relevant Concepts

• Total time available for division in six hours can be calculated as: $\text{Total time} = 6 \text{ hours} \times 60 \text{ minutes/hour}$
• The number of divisions can be found using: $\text{Number of divisions} = \frac{\text{Total time}}{\text{Division time per cell}}$

3. Analysis and Detail

1. Calculate the total time in minutes: $\text{Total time} = 6 \times 60 = 360 \text{ minutes}$

2. Calculate the number of divisions: $\text{Number of divisions} = \frac{360 \text{ minutes}}{20 \text{ minutes/division}} = 18$

4. Verify and Summarize

After carefully calculating, we find that the bacterial cell divides 18 times in six hours.

Final Answer

The bacteria will divide 18 times in six hours.