Question
A website records the number of referrals it received, y, from social media websites over time, x.
time (years) 5 6 7 8
cost ($) 18,984 28,477 42,715 64,072
Note: The number of referrals is rounded to the nearest whole number.
Which type of function would best be used to model this situation? Explain how you arrived at your answer. (in one sentence and 60 or more words)
time (years) 5 6 7 8
cost ($) 18,984 28,477 42,715 64,072
Note: The number of referrals is rounded to the nearest whole number.
Which type of function would best be used to model this situation? Explain how you arrived at your answer. (in one sentence and 60 or more words)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The situation described fits best with an exponential function because the cost displayed over time grows at an increasing rate, suggesting that as time progresses, the number of referrals from social media is compounding rather than increasing linearly. This is characteristic of phenomena where growth accelerates, which is often the case in digital marketing and social media engagement, indicating that the relationship between time and referrals is likely multiplicative rather than additive.