In an exponential regression model written as y = ab raised to x, what does b greater than 1 signal?
- The model shows decay
- The model shows growth
- The model is a straight line
- The model has no real fit
Show answer and solution
Correct answer: B. The model shows growth
1. Regression on a graphing utility returns the form y = ab raised to the power x.
2. If b is greater than 1, the outputs climb and the model shows exponential growth.
3. If b lies between 0 and 1, the outputs fall and the model shows exponential decay instead.
_Source: OpenStax Precalculus (CC BY 4.0), section 4.8 Fitting Exponential Models to Data_