Question

Which of the contexts below could not be modeled by an exponential function?

• A car depreciates at a rate of 3.7% per year.
• A sunflower was growing at a rate of 2.75 inches per week.
• A certain population of 25 aggressive zombies quadruples every week.
Money invested in a savings account grows at an annual rate of 2.2%.

Answer 1

The context that could not be modeled by an exponential function is "A car depreciates at a rate of 3.7% per year." Exponential functions are typically used to model situations involving growth or decay that occur at a constant rate over time. In this case, the rate of depreciation of the car is decreasing over time, so it cannot be modeled by an exponential function. A linear function or a more complex model may be more appropriate.