A lab experiment measures the number of organisms at 8 am every day. Starting with 2 organisms on the first day, the number of organisms on any day is equal to 3 more than twice the number on the previous day. If the number of organisms on the nth day exceeds one million, then the lowest possible value of n is

Given on day-1, there are 2 organisms.

On day-2, there are 2*2 + 3 = 7 and on day-3, there are 2*7 + 3 = 17..

Let us try to form a pattern:

2 = 2 + 0 (n = 1)

7 = 4 + 3 (n = 2)

17 = 8 + 9 [8 + 3*3] (n = 3)

37 = 16 + 21[16 + 3*7] n = 4

T(n) = $$2^n+3\left(2^{n-1}-1\right)$$

We know that $$2^{20}=2^{10}\times\ 2^{10}=1024\times\ 1024$$, which is more than 1 million.

Let us check for n = 19

$$2^{19}+3\left(2^{18}-1\right)=2^{19}\ +\ 3\cdot2^{18}-3=2\cdot2^{19}+2^{18}-3=2^{20}+2^{18}-3$$, which is more than 1 million.

Let us check for n = 18

=> $$2^{18}+3\left(2^{17}-1\right)=2^{18}\ +\ 3\cdot2^{17}-3=2\cdot2^{18}+2^{17}-3=2^{19}+2^{17}-3$$ which is not more than a million.

=> n = 19.