The power of exponentials

14.1
Global context: Orientation in space and time

Objectives Inquiry questions

● ●
Recognizing exponential functions What are exponential functions?

F
●
Using exponential functions to model real-life

problems

●
How do you transform exponential

C
●
Identifying and using translations, reections
MROF

functions?

and dilations with exponential functions

●
How do you recognize transformations

of exponential functions?

●
Do exponential models have limitations?

D
●
Do patterns lead to accurate predictions?

ATL Critical-thinking

Draw reasonable conclusions and generalizations

10.1
Statement of Inquiry:

Relationships model patterns of change that can help clarify and

predict duration, frequency and variability.

14.1

51 8
 A LG E B R A

You should already know how to:

●
evaluate expressions with 1 Write down the value of :

0 4 1 2

exponents a 2 b 2 c 4 d 3

●
identify and apply translations, 2 Here is the graph of y = f(x).

reections and dilations to

y

functions
6

x
4 2 2 4

Sketch the graph of :

a y = f(x) + 3 b y = f(x 2)

c y = −f(x) d y = f( x)

e y = 2f(x) f y = f(2x)

F Exponential functions

●
What are exponential functions?

Exploration 1

1 A wealthy donor oers money to a charity in two ways:

Option 1: A one-time donation Option 2: A donation of one cent

of $5000. on day 1, two cents on day 2,

four cents on day 3, and so on,

doubling each day, for 20 days.

Without doing any calculations, predict which option gives the most money.

2 Now nd the total amount donated under Option 2.

a Copy and complete the table:

Day 1 2 3 4 5

Amount (cents) 1 2 4 8 16

Amount as a

2 2

power of 2

b Write a function for the amount on day x

3 Use your GDC or a spreadsheet to work out the amounts for

days 1 to 20. Find the total in US dollars for all 20 days.

4 Graph your function from step 2b for 1 ≤ x ≤ 20.

ATL
Explain which option gives the most money.

14.1 The power of exponentials 51 9

 x

In a function y = b , where b is a positive integer greater than 1, as the x values

increase, the y values increase very rapidly.

Exploration 2

x
1.1

1 Graph the function y = b and insert

a slider for the parameter b. Move y

the slider to explore what happens 6

to the graph for values of b greater y = b

5

than 1.

a State what happens to the value 3

of y as b increases.
2
b 3.0

0.0 10.0

b Determine if the y-intercept 1

remains the same for all values

0
x
3 2 1 1 2 3 4
of b. Explain.

c Determine if the function has

an x-intercept, that is, whether the

function will ever be equal to 0.

d Explain what happens to the value of y for x < 0, as the values

of x get less and less.

e Suggest why an exponential function with b > 1 is called an

ATL
exponential growth function.

1.1

2 Now redene the slider so that 0 < b < 1.

y

Answer parts a, b and c in step 1 for x

y = b

5
this function.

a Explain what happens to the

value of y for x > 0, as the values

b 0.3

of x get larger and larger.

0.0 1.0

b Suggest why an exponential

function with 0 < b < 1 is called

0 x

3 2 1 1 2 3 4

an exponential decay function.

3 Explain what happens to the graph if b < 0, and justify your answer.

An exponential function is of the form f (x) = a × b , where a ≠ 0, b > 0, b ≠ 1.

The independent variable x is the exponent.

Exploration 3

1 By choosing a xed value for b where b > 1, graph the function

y = a × b and insert a slider for the parameter a. Describe how the

y-intercept changes.

2 Repeat step 1, but this time choose a xed value of b such that 0 < b < 1.

3 Explain how the value of a is related to the y-intercept for any

exponential function.

5 20 14 Models
 A LG E B R A

The exponential function y = b does not have

any x-intercepts.
4 x

y = b

For b > 1, as x gets less and less, the

b 3.0
2

function approaches 0, but never equals 0.

0.0 10.0

x
0
4 2 2 4

For 0 < b < 1, as x gets larger and larger,

y
the function approaches 0, but never equals 0.

x 4
x
y = b

For any value of b > 0 the function y = b

b 0.3

has a horizontal asymptote at y = 0. 2

0.0 1.0

x
0
4 2 2 4

A horizontal asymptote is the line that the graph of f (x) approaches as x

gets larger and larger.

Reect and discuss 1

●
Here is the graph of exponential function y = b
y

Deduce the value of b from the graph.

(1, 4)

Check your answer by graphing

the exponential function with the value

of b you chose. Explain how you found b

( 1, 0.25)
(0, 1)

●
Identify the value of b from the second
0 x

graph of y = b . Explain how you found b

y
●
Given the standard form of the exponential

function is y = a × b , for these two graphs Tip

the value of a is 1. Explain how you could ( 1, 4)

Look at anygraphs

identify the value of a from a graph of

you drew in
x

y = a × b where a ≠ 1. (0, 1)

Practice 1.
(1, 0.25)

x
0

Population growth, bacterial and viral growth, spread of epidemics, decay of

radioactive substances, and nances such as interest and credit card payments

can all be modelled with exponential functions.

14.1 The power of exponentials 5 21

Example 1

There are 128 players in a tennis tournament. Half of the players are

eliminated after each round.

a Write a table of values, and a function for the number of players after

round x

b Determine the number of rounds needed to declare a winner.

Round Number of players

number (x) at end of round (y)

0 128

Look for a pattern

4
in the y values.

y = 128 ×

After 7 rounds only one

b 7 rounds are needed.

player, the winner, is left.

In Example 1, a = 128 (the initial number of tennis players) and b =

(the factor by which the number of players reduces). The variable x represents

the round number, and y represents the number of players left after round x

In the standard form of the exponential function y = a × b :

●
the parameter a represents the initial amount

●
the parameter b represents the growth or reduction (decay) factor

●
x is the independent variable (for example: time)

●
y is the dependent variable (for example: population)

5 2 2 14 Models
 A LG E B R A

Practice 1

1 One bacterium cell divides to produce two cells every minute.

a Write down a function for the number of cells after x minutes.

b Use your function to calculate the number of cells after 15 minutes.

c Graph your formula to determine:

i the number of cells after half an hour

ii when there will be 1 million cells (after how many minutes).

2 The half-life of carbon-11 is 20 minutes.

The half-life of

a A sample of carbon-11 has 10 000 nuclei. Make a table of values for ve
a radioactive

20-minute intervals, and write down a function for the number of nuclei
material is the

after x number of 20 minute intervals.

time taken for the

number of nuclei to
b Find the number of nuclei after 3 hours.

halve.

c Determine how long it takes for the number of nuclei to reduce to

less than 10% of the original number.

Problem solving

3 Drug testing trials show that the amount of a pain-relieving medicine in a

person’s body reduces by one quarter every hour. It is safe to take another

dose of the medicine when there is less than 200 mg in the body.

Determine how long after a dose of 400 mg it will be safe to take another dose.

Exploration 4

1 By choosing a xed value for b such that b > 1, graph the function

y = a × b and insert a slider for the parameter a. Describe how the

horizontal asymptote changes, and write an equation for the horizontal

asymptote of any exponential equation y = a × b when b > 1.

2 Do the same as in step 1, but this time select a xed value of b such

that 0 < b < 1. Write an equation for the horizontal asymptote of any

exponential equation y = a × b , for 0 < b < 1.

The parameter b, the growth factor, may be a percentage instead of an integer or

fraction. To increase an initial amount by 10%, you multiply by 1 + 0.1 = 1.1.

So if an initial amount y increases by 10% each day, then you have:

End of day 1 End of day 2 End of day 3 End of day x

2 3 x

1.1y 1.1 y 1.1 y 1.1 y

To decrease an initial amount by 5%, you multiply by 1 0.05 = 0.95.

So if an initial amount y decreases by 5% each day, then you have:

End of day 1 End of day 2 End of day 3 End of day x

2 3 x

0.95y 0.95 y 0.95 y 0.95 y

14.1 The power of exponentials 5 23