Question

How can you inspect a table to determine if it is an exponential function?

Options:

(a) Look for a constant ratio between consecutive values.
(b) Look for a constant difference between consecutive values.
(c) Look for a value that is consistently increasing or decreasing.
(d) Look for a value that is consistently positive or negative.

Answer 1

To inspect a table and determine if it represents an exponential function, you can look for a constant ratio between consecutive values. If the ratio is consistent, the table likely represents an exponential function.

Step-by-step explanation:

To inspect a table and determine if it represents an exponential function, you can look for a constant ratio between consecutive values. In an exponential function, each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a constant ratio. So, if you observe that the ratio between consecutive values is consistent, then the table likely represents an exponential function.

For example, if you have a table where the values increase by a factor of 2 each time, such as (1, 2, 4, 8), this indicates an exponential relationship.

Therefore, option (a) 'Look for a constant ratio between consecutive values' is the correct option to inspect a table for an exponential function.