7 A biologist is investigating the growth of a population of a species of rodent. The biologist proposes the model
$$N = \frac { 500 } { 1 + 9 \mathrm { e } ^ { - \frac { t } { 8 } } }$$
for the number of rodents, \(N\), in the population \(t\) weeks after the start of the investigation.
Use this model to answer the following questions.
- Find the size of the population at the start of the investigation.
- Find the size of the population 24 weeks after the start of the investigation. your answer to the nearest whole number.
- Find the number of weeks that it will take the population to reach 400 . Give your answer in the form \(t = r \ln s\), where \(r\) and \(s\) are integers.
- Show that the rate of growth, \(\frac { \mathrm { d } N } { \mathrm {~d} t }\), is given by
$$\frac { \mathrm { d } N } { \mathrm {~d} t } = \frac { N } { 4000 } ( 500 - N )$$
- The maximum rate of growth occurs after \(T\) weeks. Find the value of \(T\).