Exponential Function: Understanding and Solving Problems

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding and solving problems related to exponential functions, specifically in the context of data analysis involving ratios and growth patterns.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the definition of exponential functions and suggest methods for determining the ratio between data entries. There are attempts to illustrate the calculation of ratios using specific examples from data points. Questions arise regarding how to derive the function from the data.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on plotting data and using graphical methods to find the equation of the exponential function. However, there is a noted lack of engagement from the original poster in attempting the problem, leading to a closure of the thread.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of an attachment containing the question, but specific details about the data or the problem setup are not provided in the discussion. The original poster's lack of effort is highlighted as a concern.

schan11
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Help! exponential function

Please look at the attachment for the question!

Thank you for your help
 

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An exponential function is a function f(x)=ax, where a is the ratio between entries. Since you have a bunch of data, divide between entries to find the ratio, a. Then average them to get the average ratio, and use this average ratio to find the missing values.
 


Harrisonized said:
An exponential function is a function f(x)=ax, where a is the ratio between entries. Since you have a bunch of data, divide between entries to find the ratio, a. Then average them to get the average ratio, and use this average ratio to find the missing values.

But how do you work out the function?
 


Let's take the first two entries as an example.

On day 21/5, we have 3 cases of H1N1. On day 22/5, we have 7 cases of H1N1.

What's 7/3? 2.333.

On day 22/5, we have 7 cases of H1N1. On day 23/5, we have 12 cases of H1N1.

What's 12/7? 1.714.

Hopefully by now you've noticed that these are the values in the third column.
 


schan11 said:
Please look at the attachment for the question!
It might be instructive to plot the raw data on semilog graph paper. (Search on google, and print out a sheet of it.) The curve of best fit should be a straight line. Measure its slope. From this you can work out the equation you seek. This should support the figures in the right-most column of your data. This exercise amounts to graphically taking an average of the numbers in the right column, and, if it hadn't already been done, would save calculating those numbers.
 
Last edited:


Even after several responses, there is no attempt at all by the original poster to work the problem himself. Thread closed.
 

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