In a petri dish, a certain type of bacterium doubles in number every 40 minutes.

There were originally 64 or 2 to the 6th power, bacteria in the dish. After 120 minutes, the number of bacteria has doubled 3 times, multiplying by 2 to the 3rd power

Now the population of bacteria is is 2 to the 6th power times 2 to the 3rd power. Expressed as a power, how many bacteria are in the petri dish after 120 minutes?


A. 2 to the 9th power
B. 2 to the 18th power
C.4 to the 9th power
D. 2 to the 3rd power