Question

The amount of a radioactive isotope decays in half every year. The amount of the isotope can be modeled by f(x) = 346(one half)x and f(1) = 173. What does the 1 represent?

Answer 1

Options:

The starting amount of the isotope
The amount of the isotope after one year
The rate the isotope decreases
The number of years that have passed

The correct option is the third option "The rate the isotope decreases."

Answer 2

Hm. Not quite. The rate at which the isotope decreases is 1/2 not 1 since we are talking about half-lives

Notice how 1 is the input variable of the function, which means it is the independent variable which is...?