Popcorn kernels pop independently (i.e. unimolecularly). For one brand at constant temperature, 15 kernels pop in 10 seconds when 200 kernels are present. After 35 kernels have popped, how many kernels will pop in 10 seconds? (Your answer may include fractions of a kernel).
To solve this problem, we can use a proportion. Let's denote the number of kernels that will pop in 10 seconds as x.
We know that the number of kernels popping is directly proportional to the time. So we can set up the proportion:
15 kernels / 10 seconds = x kernels / 10 seconds
To find the value of x, we need to cross-multiply and divide:
15 * 10 seconds = x * 10 seconds
150 = 10x
Dividing both sides by 10:
15 = x
Therefore, if 15 kernels pop in 10 seconds when there are 200 kernels present, then when 35 kernels have already popped, we can expect that 15 kernels will still pop in the subsequent 10 seconds.