Question

Which one of the following scenarios can be modeled by an exponential function?(1 point)
Responses

the volume of water in a puddle that decreases by 25% every six hours
the volume of water in a puddle that decreases by 25% every six hours

the number of insects in a population that decreases by 1000 each week
the number of insects in a population that decreases by 1000 each week

the value of a tractor that loses value by $4000 each year
the value of a tractor that loses value by $4000 each year

the size of a glacier that shrinks by 250 square feet every month

Answer 1

The scenario that can be modeled by an exponential function is:

**the volume of water in a puddle that decreases by 25% every six hours.**

This is because exponential decay describes situations where a quantity decreases by a constant percentage over equal intervals of time. In this case, you are losing 25% of the volume every six hours, which is characteristic of exponential decay.

The other scenarios involve linear decreases (subtracting a fixed amount each period) and are better modeled by linear functions rather than exponential functions.