Until now we have dealt with various calculations of functions
and equations where x is either in the base or the
exponent. When x is the exponent the function is known as
an exponential function. We will now see how an
exponential function appears graphically. As with any function
whatsoever, an exponential function may be correspondingly
represented on a graph. We will begin with two functions as
examples - one where the base is greater than 1 and the other where
the base is smaller than is smaller than 1.
In this function the base is 2. The function is inclining.
In this function the base is 0.1. The function is declining.
An exponential function may generally be written as:
The following graph depicts four different curves indicating how
an exponential function behaves depending on whether C and
a are positive or negative. The curves are identical but
inverted in the various quadrants:
No curve ever intersects the x-axis but only approaches
it infinitely.
Videolesson: show how to rewrite the given
expression
