Final answer:
Exponential growth occurs when a population grows at an accelerating rate without any limiting factors. Logistic growth occurs when a population reaches its carrying capacity, and the growth rate levels off.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exponential growth occurs when a population grows at an accelerating rate, without any limiting factors. This is represented by a J-shaped curve. For example, when a few bacteria are introduced into a nutrient-rich culture in a lab, their population will rapidly increase as they have unlimited resources.
On the other hand, logistic growth occurs when a population reaches its carrying capacity and the growth rate levels off. This is represented by an S-shaped curve. For instance, when the nutrients in the culture become limited, the bacteria population will start to level off until it reaches a stable size that the environment can sustain.