According to Thomas Malthus, what is the relationship between food supply and population growth?

• A. Food supply grows exponentially while population grows linearly.
• B. Population tends to grow faster than the food supply, leading to potential shortages.
• C. Food supply always increases at the same rate as population growth.
• D. Population growth is limited only by government policies, not by food supply.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand Thomas Malthus's core theory: He proposed that population growth tends to outpace the growth of food supply.
2. Recognize the types of growth involved: According to Malthus, population grows geometrically (exponentially), while food supply grows arithmetically (linearly).
3. Analyze the implication of these growth rates: Since population grows faster than food supply, this imbalance can lead to shortages of food resources.
4. Consider the consequences Malthus predicted: When food supply cannot keep up, it results in famine, disease, and other checks on population growth.
5. Summarize the relationship: Population growth is limited by the availability of food, meaning that food supply acts as a natural constraint on population size.