If you present a light flash to a salamander rod then the electrical current generated by the rod first rises and then decays, as shown in Fig. 17.12. The red curves are a very simple model.

If R is the response (i.e., the current), the simple model is R(t) = R0t n e −kt , for some constants R0 > 0, n (a positive integer) and k > 0.
Using this simple model, answer the following questions.

a. When does the peak occur?

b. What is the value of R at the peak?

c. How could you use this information to find reasonable values for R0, n and k? Try and find the values used to plot the red curves, and then find values that could be used to model the other two curves

d. Where does the model not work well?