Question

Moore's law says that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit increases by 41\%41%41, percent every year. In 197419741974, a dense integrated circuit was produced with 500050005000 transistors. Which expression gives the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit in 197919791979?

Answer 1

In 1979 the amount of transistors in a chip was approximately 27865.

Explanation:

Since the number of transistors in 1974 was 5000 per chip and it increases at a rate of 41% per year, the number of transistors in a chip per year can be modelled by the following expression:

chips(t) = 5000*(1.41)^(t - 1974)

Therefore in 1979, we have:

chips(1979) = 5000*(1.41)^(1979 - 1974)

chips(1979) = 5000*(1.41)^5

chips(1979) = 27865.4183

In 1979 the amount of transistors in a chip was approximately 27865.