Which of these equations models exponential DECAY?

y=6(7)
x


y=4(
7
8

)
x


y=4(2)
x


y=2(
3
1

)
x

1 answer

Exponential decay is characterized by a base that is between 0 and 1. In the context of your equations, this means we are looking for equations that have a fraction less than 1 raised to the power of \(x\).

Let's analyze each equation:

  1. \(y = 6 \cdot 7^x\) - This represents exponential growth because \(7 > 1\).

  2. \(y = 4 \cdot \left(\frac{7}{8}\right)^x\) - Here, \(\frac{7}{8}\) is less than 1, indicating exponential decay.

  3. \(y = 4 \cdot 2^x\) - This represents exponential growth because \(2 > 1\).

  4. \(y = 2 \cdot \left(\frac{3}{1}\right)^x\) - This simplifies to \(y = 2 \cdot 3^x\), which is also exponential growth since \(3 > 1\).

Thus, the equation that models exponential decay is:

\(y = 4 \cdot \left(\frac{7}{8}\right)^x\).