EngageNY
Exponential Decay
I just bought that car, how can its value decrease already? Individuals use the data of a depreciating car value to create an exponential decay model. They then compare exponential decay and growth equations.
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.
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...
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...
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...
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
NUMB3RS Activity: A Matter of Half-Life and Death
Students investigate exponential decay. Students explore the biological half-life of Cesium-137. Students investigate the Goiania Accident of 1987 which is considered one of the worst incidents in the history of the Atomic...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Nuclear Popcorn
Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...
Curated OER
Carbon 14 Dating, Variation 2
Your archaeologists begin this task with a table of values to estimate the time passed based on the half-life of Carbon 14 remaining in a plant. They then move on to find when a specific amount of Carbon 14 is present in the same plant,...
Curated OER
Basketball Rebounds
Your young basketball players will build a table and develop a general formula for a decaying exponential scenario involving the rebound distance of a bouncing ball. Using a CBR and graphing calculator can make this even more hands-on...
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
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.
Curated OER
Rhinos and M&M's
High schoolers analyze patterns of exponential models by collecting data in paper folding and M&M investigations. They use graphing calculators to create scatter plots that lead to equations for the exponential models. They then...
Curated OER
What Functions do Two Graph Points Determine?
Your algebra learners write linear, exponential, and quadratic equations containing the same two graph points in this collaborative task.
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay Curve
Students gather and organize data. In this radioactive decay curve activity, students gather data as they follow the provided procedures for rolling dice. Students chart their data and examine interval results.
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...
Curated OER
Endocrine Disruptors in Our Drinking Water: Should We Be Concerned?
Students investigate the different hormone contaminants in the water supply. In this math instructional activity, students analyze data tables and graphs. They demonstrate exponential growth and decay using frog populations.
Curated OER
Get a Half-life!
Pupils explore decay functions and the half-life of a substance. Through an M&M activity with calculators, students collect and graph data. They determine the linear, quadratic and exponential functions of the graph. Pupils...
Curated OER
Introduction to Graphical Representation of Data Sets in Connection to Cellular Growth
Students practice graphing relationships between variables by studying topics such as exponential growth and decay. They conduct a series of numerical experiments using a computer model and a variety of physical experiments using mold,...
Curated OER
Get a Half-life!
Students use m&m candies as their sample set. They begin by counting the total number of candies to determine their sample size. Students put the candies into a cup and shake them gently before pouring them onto a paper plate. Count...
Curated OER
An Introduction to the Natural Logarithm (ln)
Students explore the dose response principle, an introduction to what the "natural log" (ln) is and how it behaves. They create and analyze a dose response graph.