A quantity triples every 6 years. What is the growth factor for a 2-year period, rounded to the nearest hundredth?

If a quantity triples every 6 years, let $r$ be the growth factor per 2 years. Three 2-year periods make up 6 years, so $r^3 = 3$ and $r = 3^{1/3} \approx 1.4422$. Rounded to the nearest hundredth, the answer is 1.44. Check: $1.44^3 \approx 2.99$. A common wrong answer is 1.50, which comes from dividing $3 \div 2$. Another is 1.33, from splitting the 200% increase into thirds as if growth were linear ($1 + \frac{2}{3}$). A third is 1.73, which is $\sqrt{3}$ and applies to a 3-year period rather than a 2-year period. Exponential growth is handled by roots, not division.