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Life · Guided lesson

Write and use an exponential rule

About 10 minutes · 3 reading + 7 practice and checks
Time includes reading, practice, and questions. Extra videos or further study are optional.
See this course’s project requirements

A population and cooling model sheet comparing repeated addition with repeated multiplication and checking predictions against supplied observations.

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Compare a linear and an exponential sequence.
  • Show repeated-factor tables and direct formulas.
  • Check two growth and two decay calculations.
  • Explain a doubling or halving interval from supplied data.
  • Compare a model with observations and retain its mismatch.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Method: applies the course-specific rules to the supplied cases with visible intermediate work.
  • Accuracy: results agree with the stated facts, units, boundaries and independent checks.
  • Reasoning: explains why the result follows and identifies a limitation or unresolved question.
  • Transfer: completes changed cases and revises the final project when a relevant assumption changes.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Original model:80 units increase 25% per interval for two intervals.

The idea

A percent change of r per interval uses factor 1+r for growth and 1−r for decay. The factor multiplies the current amount, so later absolute changes can differ.

Follow along

Write and use an exponential rule — worked practice

A percent change of r per interval uses factor 1+r for growth and 1−r for decay. The factor multiplies the current amount, so later absolute changes can differ.

Original model:80 units increase 25% per interval for two intervals.

Case information

Paste at A1.

ARecordBGiven
Original caseOriginal model:80 units increase 25% per interval for two intervals.

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  1. 1. 1. Convert

    Write 25% as 0.25 and obtain the factor.

    You should see: Growth factor 1.25.

  2. 2. 2. Apply once

    Multiply 80 by 1.25.

    You should see: First interval 100 units.

  3. 3. 3. Apply again

    Multiply the new amount by 1.25.

    You should see: Second interval 125 units.

  4. 4. 4. Check

    Write one expression and explain the second increase.

    You should see: 80×1.25^2=125; second increase 25 rather than 20.

Now change one thing

A model starts with 50 and grows 20% per interval. Find its value after two intervals.

Your work

What to finish

A two-interval percent-growth calculation with checked factors.

Common mistake

Watch for this

A fixed addition models linear change, not constant percentage growth.

How can I tell I understand it?

Explain why repeated percent growth differs from repeating the first absolute increase.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1A 10% increase uses which factor?
2A 100-unit model grows 20% for two intervals. What results?
3Why is adding the first increase repeatedly unsuitable?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
3
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

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Sources and further reading

Explore the references behind this lesson.

OpenStax: exponential functions
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Web open/search showed the official page, its topic heading and relevant concept description. This is a content/source check, not a provider endorsement. Exact topic chapters were opened in web result turn 325view 0–14.

Access: Official page retrieved with the web reader on 2026-10-01; interactive tools and videos were not certified by retrieval.

Reuse: Original fictional teaching cases, calculations, questions and examples; link and short factual paraphrase only. No copied source exercises or illustrations.

OpenStax: exponential models
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Web open/search showed the official page, its topic heading and relevant concept description. This is a content/source check, not a provider endorsement.

Access: Official page retrieved with the web reader on 2026-10-01; interactive tools and videos were not certified by retrieval.

Reuse: Original fictional teaching cases, calculations, questions and examples; link and short factual paraphrase only. No copied source exercises or illustrations.

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