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Study Guides > College Algebra CoRequisite Course

Introduction to Graphs of Exponential Functions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Determine whether an exponential function and its associated graph represents growth or decay.
  • Sketch a graph of an exponential function.
  • Graph exponential functions shifted horizontally or vertically and write the associated equation.
  • Graph a stretched or compressed exponential function.
  • Graph a reflected exponential function.
  • Write the equation of an exponential function that has been transformed.
As we discussed in the previous section, exponential functions are used for many real-world applications such as finance, forensics, computer science, and most of the life sciences. Working with an equation that describes a real-world situation gives us a method for making predictions. Most of the time, however, the equation itself is not enough. We learn a lot about things by seeing their visual representations, and that is exactly why graphing exponential equations is a powerful tool. It gives us another layer of insight for predicting future events.

Licenses & Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

CC licensed content, Shared previously

  • Precalculus. Provided by: OpenStax Authored by: Jay Abramson, et al.. Located at: https://openstax.org/books/precalculus/pages/1-introduction-to-functions. License: CC BY: Attribution. License terms: Download For Free at : http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected]..
  • College Algebra. Provided by: OpenStax Authored by: Abramson, Jay et al.. License: CC BY: Attribution. License terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected].