J Curve
Definition
The J curve refers to a graph that shows exponential growth in population over time. It starts with a slow increase, followed by a rapid acceleration as the population grows exponentially.
Analogy
Imagine you have a jar of bacteria that doubles every minute. At first, it may seem like nothing is happening, but suddenly the number of bacteria explodes and fills up the jar rapidly.
Related terms
Exponential Growth: This term describes the rapid increase in population size over time due to unlimited resources.
Population Explosion: This term refers to an extremely rapid growth in population size within a short period of time.
Reproductive Potential: This term represents the maximum number of offspring an organism can produce under ideal conditions.
"J Curve" appears in:
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.