Final answer:
The number 10 in the equation Q=10e^-0.10t refers to the initial amount of the substance, while -0.01 is the decay constant indicating the rate of the substance's decrease over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Here, the number 10 represents the initial quantity of the substance in grams, as it is the value of Q when t (time) is 0.
The number -0.01 represents the decay constant in the exponential decay model, which signifies the rate of decline of the substance quantity over time, such that in each year, the quantity decreases by a factor related to this constant.
The description of the terms used while describing the equation "Q=10e^-0.10t" are:
- Exponential decay refers to a process in which a quantity decreases over time, with the rate of decrease becoming proportionally smaller as the quantity gets smaller.
- Radioactive decay is a series of many chance events, all with an unalterable chance. The rate of disintegrations is proportional to the total number of unchanged radioactive atoms at that moment. Both the rate and the stockpile itself die away exponentially with the same characteristic half-life.
The given equation in the question often describes the decay of a radioactive substance or the decrease in concentration of a reactant in a chemical reaction over time.