How do you determine if the equation #y=2^x# represents exponential growth or decay?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2016

It represents a growth.

Explanation:

You can try observing what happens to #y# when #x# increases.
Say that you choose for #x# the increasing values #1 and 3#;
You'll get for #y# the increasing values #2 and 8#;
What if you are in the negative range?
Let us choose increasing negative #x# values, say, #-3 and -1#;
You get for #y# the increasing values #0.125 and 0.5#.