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SECTION 5.1
Exploring Exponential Models
Exponential Function form y = abx
When writing an exponential function that includes
the two points use your calculator (stat, edit, etc…..)
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Exponential Growth
• y = abx where a ≠ 0 and b > 1
x y
“b” is the growth factor
-3 0.125
and “a”(initial amount)
is the y-intercept -2 0.25
Write the equation of exponential -1 0.5
growth using the following data 0 1
1 2
2 4
3 8
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Example
An island has 40 people on it. It has been found true
that the population of the island doubles every year.
How many people will populate the island in 10 years?
Katie has one pregnant guppie in his fish tank. The
number of guppies triples every 4 months. How many
guppies would Katie have in two years?
What is the difference in the guppie population between
the 2nd and 3rd year?
Will it be the same between the 3rd and 4th year as well?
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Let’s talk Science!
EX-The half-life of Zn-71 is 2.4 minutes. If one had 100.0 g at
the beginning, how many grams would be left after 7.2 minutes
has elapsed?
EX-Pd-100 has a half-life of 3.6 days. If one had
6.02 x 1023 atoms at the start, how many atoms would be
present after 20.0 days?
EX-An email virus spreads through a network infecting 4
email accounts every hour. If one email account started the
virus, then how many email accounts will be infected in
eight hours?
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Exponential Decay
Graph: y = 3(2) x and y = 3(1/2) x
What is the difference in the graphs?
What is the difference in the equations?
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Analyzing a Function
Determine whether each function represents exponential
growth or exponential decay
y = 100(0.12) x
y = 0.2(5) x
y = 16(1/2) x
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Growth and Decay
r nt
A P (1 ) r
final value - initial value
n initial value
A=final amount or value
P=initial amount invested or put in
r=growth(+) or decay(-)
n=number of times per year
t=number of years
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Example (growth)
• Jerry invests $4,000 into a money market account.
His interest rate is 1.5%. What will be the amount of
money in the account in 10 years if left untouched?
Example (decay)
• David bought a car brand new off of the lot for
$25,000. His particular model of car is known to have
an average depreciation rate of 2.5%. What will be
the value of David’s car in 7 years?
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Example
$100 is invested into an account that accrues
interest monthly. At a rate of .05%, how much
money will be in the account after 20 years?
Example
$2,000 is deposited into an account that
compounds the interest annually at a rate of
4%. How many years would you have to leave
the money in the account to surpass $6,000? 10
Example
Hunter wants to save up $5,000 to purchase a new 4 wheeler in 6 years.
He deposits his money into an account that draws 4% interest quarterly.
What must be his initial investment?
Example
YEAR Account What is the average rate of
Balance
interest of this account?
0 1200
1 1254
How much money will be in the
2 1310.4
account at the end of 6 years?
3 1369.4
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9.2
Continuously Compounded interest
Annual rate of interest
Amount in
account
A Pert time in years
Principal
EX-You invest $1050 at an annual interest rate of
5.5% compounded continuously. How much will
you have after 5 years?
EX-What if you invest $1300 at a rate of 4.3% .
How much will you have after 3 years?
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Translation of exponential functions
y = abx – h + k h – horizontal change
k – vertical change
describe how the original exponential equation
has changed
y = 9(3)x + 1 y = 3(4)x – 2 + 5
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