Final answer:
To find the value of a that makes the graph of the exponential function f(x) = aˣ contain the point (2, 1/16), substitute the values into the equation and solve for a. The correct value of a is 1/4.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the value of a that makes the graph of the exponential function f(x) = aˣ contain the point (2, 1/16), we can substitute the values of x and f(x) into the equation and then solve for a.
Substitute x = 2 and f(x) = 1/16 into the equation:
1/16 = a²
Solve for a by taking the square root of both sides:
a = ±√(1/16) = ±1/4
Therefore, there are two possible values for a: a = 1/4 and a = -1/4. However, since the question specifies that a > 0, the correct value of a is a = 1/4.