Chapter 4 Modeling

In this module, we’ll look at different ways a quantity can increase and decrease. Throughout this module we’ll explore linear, quadratic, and exponential growth and decay.

Linear growth is very common in many occupations. In fact, salaries may be specified as a constant annual increase. This is an example of linear growth. The cellular provider Google Fi has a basic plan that charges $20 per month and $10 per gigabyte of data. These costs can also be thought of as linear growth. The distance a falling stone travels over time increases quadratically.

Candida albicans PHIL 3192 lores

The number of cells in a petri dish may grow faster and faster if they are properly nourished. This type of growth is called exponential growth. You may be familiar with this term. But be cautious, the term “exponential” is often misused and used to describe any type of growth.

Our goal for this module is to create and apply linear, quadratic and exponential models for applications like the ones above.

Section 4.1 – Linear Equations

Section 4.2 – Modeling with Linear Equations

Section 4.3 – Modeling with Quadratic Equations

Section 4.4 – Exponential Equations and Growth

Chapter 4 Practice Solutions