APPLICATIONS OF

EXPONENTIAL
FUNCTIONS
 A TRANSFORMATION OF AN
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION
WITH BASE b IS A FUNCTION
OF THE FORM
APPLICATIONS IN REAL-LIFE OF EXPONENTIAL
FUNCTIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS

•POPULATION GROWTH
•HALF-LIFE/EXPONENTIAL DECAY
•COMPOUND INTEREST
 POPULATION GROWTH

• Formula:
• The population after n years is 𝑃(1 + 𝑟)𝑛 .
• If the population P is decreasing, at the end of n years, the population would be
𝑃(1 − 𝑟)𝑛
• Problem 1. A town has a population of 40,000 that is decreasing at the rate of
5% per year. Approximate the population of the town after 6 years.
• Solution: Given: P=40,000, r=5%=0.05, and n=6
• The population after 6 years, 𝑃6 = 𝑃(1 + 𝑟)𝑛 = (40,000)(1 + 0.05)6
• =53,603.83=53,604
PROBLEM 2. 1. Population (Growth)
1. Let t= time in days. At t=0, there were initially 20
2.
bacteria. Suppose that the bacteria doubles every 100
hours. Give an exponential model for the bacteria as a
function of t.
Initially, at t=0, number of bacteria=20
at t=100, number of bacteria=20(2)
at t=200, number of bacteria=20(2)2
at t=300, number of bacteria=20(2)3
at t=400, number of bacteria=20(2)4
Solution:
Exponential model:

Suppose a quantity y doubles every T units

of time. If y0 is the initial amount, then the
quantity y after t units of time is given by
2. A culture of 10 bacteria in
a petri dish doubles every
hour. How many bacteria will
there be after 3 hours?
B.Radioactive Decay
1. Suppose that the half-life of a certain radioactive
substance is 10 days and there are 10g initially, determine
the amount of substance remaining after 30 days.
Initially, at t=0, amount of substance=10g
at t=10 days, amount of substance=5 g
at t=20 days, amount of substance=2.5g
at t=30 days, amount of substance=1.25g

Solution: Exponential model:

2. The half-life of a radioactive
substance is 10 days and there are
10 grams initially. Determine the
amount of substance left after 10
days.
C. Compound Interest
Principal- starting amount of money that can
be invested at a certain interest rate that is
earned at the end of a given period of time
(year).
If the interest rate is compounded, the interest
earned at the end of the period is added to the
principal and this new amount will earn interest in
the next period.
1. Mrs. De la Cruz invested P100,000 in a company that offers 6%
interest compounded annually. How much will this investment be
worth at the end of each year for the next five years?
Initially,
at t=0 investment=P100,000
t=1yr, investment=P100,000(1.06) =P106,000
t=2 yrs, investment=P106,000(1.06) =P11 2,360
t=3 yrs investment=P112,360(1.06) =P119,101.60
t=4 yrs, investment=P119,101.60(1.06) =P126,247.70
t=5 yrs, investment= P126,247.70 (1.06) =P133,822.56
Solution: Exponential model:
Compound interest
If a principal P is invested at an annual rate of r,
compounded annually, then the amount after t
years is given by A = P(1 + r ) t

r t
Use A = P (1 + ) where m is the number
m
of times the amount is compounded a year.
2. Eunice deposited P1,000 in a bank that pays 5%
compound interest annually. How much money will
she save after 2 years?

3. Ed deposits P10,000 in a bank that pays 3%

compound interest semi-annually. How much money will
he have after 11 years without withdrawal.
Other problems:
1. At time t=0, 480 grams of an isotope with a half-life of 30
hours is present. How much time will have elapsed when
only 15 grams remain?

2. The half-life of Zn-71 is 2.45 minutes. At t=0 there were

1
y0 grams of Zn-71, but only 256 of this amount remains
after some time. How much time has passed.
Performance Task
1. A population starts with 1,000 individuals and triples every 80 yrs.
a) Give an exponential model for the situation.
b) What is the size of the population after 100 years?

2. P10,000 is invested at 2% compounded annually.

a. Give an exponential model for the situation.
b. What is the amount after 12 years?

3. Suppose that the half-life of a substance is 250 years. If there were initially
100g of the substance,
a. Give an exponential model for the situation.
b. How much will remain after 500 years
4. A researcher is investigating a specimen of bacteria.
She finds that the original 1000 bacteria grew to
2,048,000 in 60 hours. How fast does the bacteria
a. Double
b. quadruple