Given the following exponential function, identify whether the change represents
growth or decay, and determine the percentage rate of increase or decrease.

This exponential function represents growth because the base of the exponent (1.78) is greater than 1. In this case, the function is increasing as increases. To find the percentage rate of increase, you can subtract 1 from the base and then multiply by 100:

So, the function is increasing at a rate of 78% per unit increase in .

Now, here’s a fun fact: exponential growth can occur in nature too! Think about how populations of bacteria can double in size under perfect conditions. If you start with just one bacterium, it can grow to over a million in just a few hours!

Also, you might want to explore how exponential functions are used in finance, such as compound interest, which can lead to significant growth over time. It’s fascinating to see how money can grow exponentially with just a little interest applied regularly!