Given:
The function is:
Where p(t) represents the number of milligrams of the substance and t represents the time.
To find:
The correct explanation for the number 0.25 and 500 in the given function.
Solution:
The general exponential function is:
...(i)
Where, a is the initial value and b is the growth/decay factor. If , then decay factor and if
, then growth factor.
We have,
...(ii)
On comparing (i) and (ii), we get
, it means initial there are 500 milligrams of the substance.
, this value is less than 1, it means the substance is decreasing by a factor of 0.25.
Therefore, 0.25 means the substance is decreasing by a factor of 0.25 and 500 means the initial value of substance is 500 milligram.