Howard County Schools
Exponential Decay Exploration
How can you model exponential decay? Explore different situations involving exponential decay functions and decreasing linear functions by performing activities with MandM candy, popcorn kernels, and number cubes.
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
Finance: Depreciation (Double Declining)
Of particular interest to a group of business and finance pupils, this lesson explores depreciation of automobile values by comparing the double declining balance to the straight line method. Mostly this is done through a slide...
Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating II
The scientific issue of carbon-14 dating and exponential decay gets a statistics-based treatment in this problem. The class starts with a basic investigation of carbon content, but then branches out to questions of accuracy and...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Writing Exponential Functions Based on Data
Give your class a concrete example of exponential growth and decay using this hands-on activity. These Algebra II lessons allow for the exploration of exponential growth and decay models, as well as the discovery of the patterns of...
EngageNY
Geometric Sequences and Exponential Growth and Decay
Connect geometric sequences to exponential functions. The 26th installment of a 35-part module has scholars model situations using geometric sequences. Writing recursive and explicit formulas allow scholars to solve problems in context.
Curated OER
Exploring Exponential Growth and Decay Functions
Learners differentiate between exponential growth and decay. In this algebra instructional activity, students solve exponential equations using properties of exponents. They use the Ti calculator to graph and analyze their...
Curated OER
Exponential Functions
Analyze functions by their shape and equation and identify decay and growth based on the equation given. Learners graph their exponential functions and differentiate it using the logarithmic versus the exponential function.
Kenan Fellows
Half-Life
Scholars shake their way to understanding half-life with the help of candy. They observe and record which side candy lands on to graph the exponential decay in the fifth instructional activity of seven integrating chemistry and algebra....
Virginia Department of Education
Exponential Modeling
Investigate exponential growth and decay. A set of six activities has pupils collecting and researching data in a variety of situations involving exponential relationships. They model these situations with exponential functions and solve...
EngageNY
Modeling with Exponential Functions
These aren't models made of clay. Young mathematicians model given population data using exponential functions. They consider different models and choose the best one.
Curated OER
Making Money and Spreading the Flu!
Paper folding, flu spreading in a school, bacteria growth, and continuously compounded interest all provide excellent models to study exponential functions. This is a comprehensive resource that looks at many different aspects of...
Curated OER
Get a Half Life!
Eighth graders use M&M's to experiment with data. They use a graphing calculator to determine the best equation for their data; linear, quadratic or exponential. They analyze the data to find the half-life of their M&M's.
Curated OER
Infestation to Extermination
Students solve problems with exponential growth and decay. In this calculus lesson, students relate exponential functions to infestation and extermination. They take the derivative to find their answer.
Curated OER
Himalayan Herds: Fractional Exponential Growth
Students solve problems by identifying exponential growth and decay and differentiating between patterns, relation and functions. In this algebra lesson, students apply concepts of exponential growth to solve problems.
Teach Engineering
Common and Natural Logarithms and Solving Equations
Log some practice with logarithms. A PowerPoint presentation provides a tutorial on the change of base formula involving natural logarithms and solving exponential equations with logarithms in the fourth installment of a seven-part...
Curated OER
Carbon 14 Dating
Evaluating and analyzing exponential functions will help your archaeologists find the amount of Carbon 14 remaining in a plant in this real-life task centered on carbon dating. Learners will also be introduced to the concept of half-life.
EngageNY
Newton’s Law of Cooling, Revisited
Does Newton's Law of Cooling have anything to do with apples? Scholars apply Newton's Law of Cooling to solve problems in the 29th installment of a 35-part module. Now that they have knowledge of logarithms, they can determine the decay...
Curated OER
Credit Cards and Compound Interests-Exponential Growth
Eleventh graders investigate the way credit cards work when collecting interest. In this algebra lesson, 11th graders investigate the growth of interest exponentially when using a credit card. They calculate what the cheapest rate is to...
EngageNY
Percent Rate of Change
If mathematicians know the secret to compound interest, why aren't more of them rich? Young mathematicians explore compound interest with exponential functions in the twenty-seventh installment of a 35-part module. They calculate future...
EngageNY
Integer Exponents
Fold, fold, and fold some more. In the first installment of a 35-part module, young mathematicians fold a piece of paper in half until it can not be folded any more. They use the results of this activity to develop functions for the area...
Curated OER
Introduction to Graphical Representation of Data Sets in Connection with Nuclear Decay
Students record data, make observations, and share in experimentation and discussion of numerical experiments.
Curated OER
Buying Cars/Financing Cars Compound Interest
Provide a real world context in which exponential functions are used to determine a eal world phenomena such as compound interest and exponential growth. This instructional activity should be taught after students have mastered the laws...
Curated OER
Will Exams Be Cancelled?
If the flu outbreak continues, exams will have to be canceled. Investigate the properties of exponential and logarithmic functions. In this algebra lesson, students use the TI to examine and differentiate between exponential growth and...
Curated OER
Exponential Functions: Half Life and Doubling Time
Students investigate the concept of exponential functions and how they increase in size over time. They simplify the functions in order to find the solutions that are possible and perform analysis of the curved line that is produced when...