A radioactive substance loses half its amount every 50 years. Which type of function best models this scenario?

Question

exponential growth function
exponential growth function

linear function
linear function

exponential decay function
exponential decay function

quadratic function

Answer 1

The scenario described involves a radioactive substance losing half of its amount every 50 years, which is characteristic of exponential decay.

The best model for this scenario is the exponential decay function. This type of function appropriately represents the situation where a quantity decreases by a constant proportion (in this case, by half) over equal intervals of time.