Exponential Situations as Functions

Clare noticed mold on the last slice of bread in the plastic bag. The area covered by the mold on Clare’s bread was about 1 mm². She left the bread alone to observe how the mold would grow. The next day, the area covered by the mold had doubled, and it doubled again the day after that. Complete the table to show the area covered by the mold from the day Clare first saw it and over the next 5 days.

Clare noticed mold on the last slice of bread in the plastic bag. The area covered by the mold on Clare’s bread was about 1 mm². She left the bread alone to observe how the mold would grow. The next day, the area covered by the mold had doubled, and it doubled again the day after that. Write an equation to represent the amount of mold A on the piece of bread after d days.

Clare noticed mold on the last slice of bread in the plastic bag. The area covered by the mold on Clare’s bread was about 1 mm². She left the bread alone to observe how the mold would grow. The next day, the area covered by the mold had doubled, and it doubled again the day after that. Choose which graph matches the scenario.

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REMEMBER: When we talk about functions, time - whether it be minutes, hours, years, etc. - is always independent. This is because time is a continuous force that never stops. So let's apply that to the moldy cheese problem. What would be our independent variable?

• Area

• Days

In a biology lab, a population of 50 bacteria (b) reproduce by splitting into two bacteria every hour (h). Write an equation that represents this scenario.

In a biology lab, a population of 50 bacteria (b) reproduce by splitting into two bacteria every hour (h). Indicate the independent and dependent variables.

• Independent: hours

  Dependent: bacteria

• Independent: bacteria

  Dependent: hours

• Independent: value

  Dependent: years

• Independent: years

  Dependent: value