Identify the horizontal asymptote of the function \( f(x) = 3 e^{-x} + 5 \).
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As \( x \) approaches infinity, the term \( e^{-x} \) tends to zero. Therefore, we can see that \( f(x) = 3 e^{-x} + 5 \) approaches \( 3 \cdot 0 + 5 = 5 \). Hence, the horizontal asymptote of the function \( f(x) \) is \( y = 5 \). On the flip side, when \( x \) approaches negative infinity, \( e^{-x} \) grows very large, making the \( 3 e^{-x} \) term dominate the function. Nevertheless, the horizontal asymptote we’re interested in is the one observed as \( x \to \infty\), which confirms that the horizontal asymptote remains at \( y = 5 \).