I am so lost on this homework assignment and don't know where to start. Please help me!

Scenario A: At noon, you get some great news but you need to keep it a secret. It's just too good to keep to yourself; so 5 minutes after you get the news you call 2 friends and tell them, but swear them to secrecy. They understand how important it is to keep a secret, so they don't tell anybody. After 5 more minutes you call 2 more friends, and again they keep your secret. You are just so excited that after 5 more minutes you make your third set of calls and tell two more friends. You continue calling friends in this same pattern.

Fill in the table below to show how many people are told and how many people know the secret after each 5 minute interval. I've completed the first several rows for you.

Time 5 minute interval (n) Number of people told Number of people who know

12:00 0 -- 1

12:05 1 2 3

12:10 2 2 5

12:15 3

12:20 4

12:25 5

12:30 6

12:35 7

12:40 8

12:45 9

12:50 10

12:55 11

1:00 12

Scenario B: Suppose you call the first two friends at 12:05 and you are satisfied because you've shared your secret, so you don't tell anybody else. Unfortunately, none of your friends can keep a secret. Like you, they just need to tell two friends, but then each of those friends needs to tell two friends, and so on, and so on.

Fill in the table below to show how many people are told and how many people know the secret after each 5 minute interval.

Time 5 minute interval (n) Number of people told Number of people who know

12:00 0 -- 1

12:05 1 2 3

12:10 2 4 7

12:15 3 8 15

12:20 4

12:25 5

12:30 6

12:35 7

12:40 8

12:45 9

12:50 10

12:55 11

1:00 12