Final answer:
The rule y=-5x⁶ is not an exponential function, but rather a polynomial function of degree 6.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, the rule y=-5x⁶ does not represent an exponential function. Exponential functions are defined by the format f(x) = abʸ, where a is a constant, b is the base of the exponent greater than 0 and not equal to 1, and x is the exponent. Instead, y=-5x⁶ is a polynomial function of degree 6 where the variable x is raised to a power, and the power is a whole number, not a variable as it would be in an exponential function.