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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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Q: What is the meaning of exponential growth and exponential decay?
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Related questions

What is the difference between exponential growth and decay?

Exponential growth is when the amount of something is increasing, and exponential decay is when the amount of something is decreasing.


How do you tell if its exponential growth or decay?

Exponential growth has a growth/decay factor (or percentage decimal) greater than 1. Decay has a decay factor less than 1.


How do you do exponential growth or decay?

That all depends on the problem given!A general form of the exponential growth/decay is:y = ab^x.If we have an exponential growth, b = 1 + rOtherwise, b = 1 - r.In the second version, the exponential growth is y = Ae^(kt) while the exponential decay is y = Ae^(-kt)


Categorize the graph as linear increasing linear decreasing exponential growth or exponential decay.?

Exponential Decay. hope this will help :)


What is the difference exponential growth and decay?

They are incredibly different acceleration patterns. Exponential growth is unbounded, whereas exponential decay is bounded so as to form a "dynamic equilibrium." This is why exponential decay is so typical of natural processes. To see work I have done in explaining exponential decay, go to the page included in the related links.


Who invented exponentail growth and exponential decay?

Reverend Thomas Malthus developed the concept of Exponential Growth (another name for this is Malthusian growth model.) However the mathematical Exponent function was already know, but not applied to population growth and growth constraints. Exponential Decay is a natural extension of Exponential Growth


How are the graphs of exponential growth and exponential decay functions different?

Exponential growth goes infinitely up. Exponential decay goes infinitely over always getting closer to the x axis but never reaching it. ADDED: An exponential decay trace's flat-looking region has its own special name: an "asymptote".


Is the equation P500(1.03) with an exponent of n a model of Growth or Exponential Decay?

It can be growth or decay - it depends on whether n is positive (growth) or negative (decay).


What is independent variable in exponential growth and decay problems?

Time!


An exponential growth function represents a quantity that has a constant halving time?

That would be an exponential decay curve or negative growth curve.


Do all exponential functions show growth over time?

If the exponent has the variable of time in it, then it will be either exponential growth (such as compound interest for example), or exponential decay (such as radioactive materials, or a capacitor discharging). If the time constant (coefficient of the time variable) is positive then it is growth, if the time constant is negative, then it is decay.


What is meaning of exponent with variable?

That you have an exponential function. These functions are typical for certain practical problems, such as population growth, or radioactive decay (with a negative exponent in this case).