The graph of y=12(0.25)x is shown in the xy-plane. Which of the following characteristics of the graph is displayed as a constant or coefficient in the equation?
Q. The graph of y=12(0.25)x is shown in the xy-plane. Which of the following characteristics of the graph is displayed as a constant or coefficient in the equation?
Identify Characteristics: The equation given is y=12(0.25)x. We need to identify the characteristics of the graph that are represented by the constants or coefficients in this equation.
Vertical Stretch or Compression: The number 12 in the equation is the coefficient of the exponential expression (0.25)x. This coefficient represents the vertical stretch or compression of the graph. In this case, it is a vertical stretch since it is greater than 1.
Rate of Decay: The base of the exponent, 0.25, is a constant that affects the rate of decay of the graph since it is an exponential decay function (because 0 < 0.25 < 1). This constant determines how quickly the graph decreases as x increases.
Horizontal Asymptote: The graph of an exponential function of the form y=a(b)x, where a is a positive constant and 0 < b < 1, will always have a horizontal asymptote at y=0. This is not explicitly shown as a coefficient or constant in the equation, but it is an inherent characteristic of all exponential decay functions.
Explicit Characteristics: The characteristics displayed as constants or coefficients in the equation are the vertical stretch factor 12 and the rate of decay 0.25. These are the only characteristics that are explicitly shown in the equation.
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