Definition: Exponential decay refers to an amount of substance decreasing exponentially. Exponential decay is a type of exponential function where instead of having a variable in the base of the function, it is in the exponent.
The best known examples of exponential decay involves radioactive materials such as uranium or plutonium. Another example, if inflation is making prices rise by 3% per year, then the value of a $1 bill is falling or exponentially decaying, by 3% per year.
new value=initial value x (1-r)^t where t =time and r =rate/100
Example: China's One-Child Policy was implemented in 1978 with a goal of reducing China's population to 700 million by 2050. China's 2000 population is about 1.2 billion. Suppose that China's population declines at a rate of 0.5% per year. Will this rate be sufficient to meet the original goal?
plug in the numbers for the equation: new value=1.2billionx(1-0.005)^50
new value=0.93 billion
hope this helps! please check out the links for the definition of exponential growth with examples! It's too long if I write the everything here! =)
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exponential decay formula is y=A x Bx
Exponential growth does not have an origin: it occurs in various situations in nature. For example if the rate of growth in something depends on how big it is, then you have exponential growth.
A quantity is said to be subject to exponential decay if it decreases at a rate proportional to its value. The time required for the decaying quantity to fall to one half of its initial value.Radioactive decay is a good example where the half life is constant over the entire decay time.In non-exponential decay, half life is not constant.
A variable undergoing exponential keeps increasing, but the rate of increase slows down to the extent that the variable reaches a "ceiling" - an asymptotic limit. With decay, the variable decreases, but the rate of decrease slows down so that eventually it reaches a limit where, to all intents and purposes, it levels off.
exponential decay doesnt have to have a decreasing halving time. it just decays at a certain percentage every time, which might be 50% or might not