Final answer:
When analyzing the powers of 3, the pattern as exponents decrease is that the values also decrease, moving from 3^4 to 3^1, the values are 81, 27, 9, and 3. Hence, the pattern is decreasing.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to analyze the pattern of the powers of 3 as the exponents decrease: 3, 27, 81, and 9.
First, let's identify the exponents and the pattern:
- 31 = 3
- 32 = 9 (Notice this corrects the typo in the student's original sequence)
- 33 = 27
- 34 = 81
As the exponents decrease moving backward through this sequence (going from 34 to 31), we can see that the values also decrease: 81, 27, 9, 3.
Therefore, the pattern as the exponents decrease in the powers of 3 is: C) Decreasing.