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1.4 apps of exponential functions

Chapter 1 discusses the applications of exponential functions in modeling population growth and radioactive decay. It provides examples, including bacterial growth and human population data from the 20th century, illustrating how exponential models can fit real-world data. Additionally, it covers the decline of viral load in HIV treatment and the concept of half-life in radioactive elements.

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12 views5 pages

1.4 apps of exponential functions

Chapter 1 discusses the applications of exponential functions in modeling population growth and radioactive decay. It provides examples, including bacterial growth and human population data from the 20th century, illustrating how exponential models can fit real-world data. Additionally, it covers the decline of viral load in HIV treatment and the concept of half-life in radioactive elements.

Uploaded by

arianna.conover
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 1: Functions and Models Applications of Exponential Functions

Book Title: Calculus: Early Transcendentals


Printed By: Arianna Conover (aconove6@student.ccp.edu)
© 2018 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning

Applications of Exponential Functions

The exponential function occurs very frequently in mathematical models of nature and
society. Here we indicate briefly how it arises in the description of population growth and
radioactive decay. In later chapters we will pursue these and other applications in greater
detail.

First we consider a population of bacteria in a homogeneous nutrient medium. Suppose that


by sampling the population at certain intervals it is determined that the population doubles
every hour. If the number of bacteria at time is , where is measured in hours, and the
initial population is , then we have

It seems from this pattern that, in general,

This population function is a constant multiple of the exponential function , so it


exhibits the rapid growth that we observed in Figures 2 and 7. Under ideal conditions
(unlimited space and nutrition and absence of disease) this exponential growth is typical of
what actually occurs in nature.

What about the human population? Table 1 shows data for the population of the world in the
20th century and Figure 8 shows the corresponding scatter plot.

Table 1

(years Population
since 1900) (millions)

0 1650

10 1750

20 1860

30 2070

40 2300
(years Population
since 1900) (millions)

50 2560

60 3040

70 3710

80 4450

90 5280

100 6080

110 6870

Figure 8

Scatter plot for world population growth

The pattern of the data points in Figure 8 suggests exponential growth, so we use a
graphing calculator with exponential regression capability to apply the method of least
squares and obtain the exponential model

where corresponds to 1900. Figure 9 shows the graph of this exponential function
together with the original data points. We see that the exponential curve fits the data
reasonably well. The period of relatively slow population growth is explained by the two
world wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Figure 9

Exponential model for population growth


In 1995 a paper appeared detailing the effect of the protease inhibitor ABT-538 on the
human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1. Table 2 shows values of the plasma viral load
of patient 303, measured in RNA copies per mL, days after ABT-538 treatment was
begun. The corresponding scatter plot is shown in Figure 10.

Table 2

(days)

1 76.0

4 53.0

8 18.0

11 9.4

15 5.2

22 3.6

Figure 10

Plasma viral load in patient 303


The rather dramatic decline of the viral load that we see in Figure 10 reminds us of the
graphs of the exponential function in Figures 3 and 4(a) for the case where the base
is less than . So let’s model the function by an exponential function. Using a
graphing calculator or computer to fit the data in Table 2 with an exponential function of the
form , we obtain the model

In Figure 11 we graph this exponential function with the data points and see that the model
represents the viral load reasonably well for the first month of treatment.

Figure 11

Exponential model for viral load

We could use the graph in Figure 11 to estimate the half-life of , that is, the time required
for the viral load to be reduced to half its initial value (see Exercise 33). In the next example
we are given the half-life of a radioactive element and asked to find the mass of a sample at
any time.

Example 3

The half-life of strontium-90, , is years. This means that half of any given
quantity of will disintegrate in years.

(a) If a sample of has a mass of mg, find an expression for the mass
that remains after years.

(b) Find the mass remaining after years, correct to the nearest milligram.

(c) Use a graphing device to graph and use the graph to estimate the
time required for the mass to be reduced to mg.

Solution

(a) The mass is initially mg and is halved during each -year period, so
From this pattern, it appears that the mass remaining after years is

This is an exponential function with base .

(b) The mass that remains after years is

(c) We use a graphing calculator or computer to graph the function


in Figure 12. We also graph the line and use the
cursor to estimate that when . So the mass of the sample
will be reduced to mg after about years.

Figure 12

Chapter 1: Functions and Models Applications of Exponential Functions


Book Title: Calculus: Early Transcendentals
Printed By: Arianna Conover (aconove6@student.ccp.edu)
© 2018 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning

© 2025 Cengage Learning Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may by reproduced or used in any form or by any means -
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, or in any other manner - without the written permission of the copyright holder.

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