A spectrophotometer provides a

qualitative measurement of bacterial growth
an exact measurement of bacterial numbers
a quantitative measurement of bacterial growth
standard plate count measurement of bacterial numbers

a quantitative measurement of bacterial growth

A spectrophotometer provides a quantitative measurement of bacterial growth. It is an instrument used to measure the amount of light absorbed or transmitted by a substance, in this case, bacterial suspension. The measurements taken by a spectrophotometer can be used to determine the optical density (OD) of the bacterial culture, which is directly related to the concentration of bacteria present in the sample. By comparing the OD values of different samples over time, one can assess the growth rate and progression of bacterial populations.

A spectrophotometer provides a qualitative measurement of bacterial growth. It is a scientific instrument used to measure the amount of light absorbed or transmitted by a substance. In the case of bacterial growth, a spectrophotometer measures the optical density (OD) of a culture, which is a measure of how much light is absorbed by the culture.

To get an exact measurement of bacterial numbers, you would need to use other methods such as counting bacterial colonies on an agar plate or using a hemocytometer to manually count bacterial cells under a microscope. These methods provide a quantitative measurement of bacterial growth by directly counting the number of bacterial cells or colonies.

A standard plate count is a technique used to estimate the number of viable bacteria in a sample. It involves serially diluting the sample, spreading the diluted samples onto agar plates, and counting the number of bacterial colonies that grow on the plates. This method provides a quantitative measurement of bacterial numbers as it gives an estimation of the actual viable bacteria present in the sample.

So, among the given options, a spectrophotometer provides a qualitative measurement of bacterial growth. If you want an exact measurement of bacterial numbers, you would need to use other methods such as a standard plate count or direct cell counting techniques.