Final answer:
The equation 'y = 11 • 5^x' represents exponential growth because the base (5) is greater than 1. As x increases, y increases at an exponentially increasing rate indicative of exponential growth. If the base had been between 0 and 1, this would have indicated exponential decay.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation given, y = 11 • 5^x, represents an exponential function. In this function, the base (5) is greater than 1, which indicates that the function represents exponential growth. This is because as the independent variable, x, increases, the dependent variable, y, increases at an increasingly rapid rate. Remember that exponential growth refers to an increase where the growth rate becomes more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size, a pattern which can be seen in the compound interest of a bank account, for example.
In contrast, exponential decay is observed when the base is between 0 and 1, indicating that the function decreases as x increases. A typical example of a scenario with exponential decay could be the decay of a radioactive material over time. Lastly, if a function neither grows nor decays, it would neither demonstrate exponential growth nor decay.
Learn more about Exponential Growth