Question

The mass of a sunfish and a giraffe, since birth, are represented by the following tables determine whether the data described in the tables is best modeled by a linear function or an exponential function

Answer 1

Answer:

Giraffe: linear function

Sunfish: exponential function

Step-by-step explanation:

In the figure attached, the tables are shown.

Giraffe

From point to point, variation in mass is:

165 - 63 = 102

264 - 165 = 99

368 - 264 = 104

468 - 368 = 100

which is almost constant. This is a feature of a linear function (variation in moths is constant).

Sunfish

Taking logarithm of mass, we get:

0.544

1.286

2.027

2.769

3.511

From point to point, the variation in logarithm of mass is:

1.286  - 0.544  = 0.742

2.027  -  1.286 = 0.741

2.769  - 2.027  =  0.742

3.511  - 2.769  = 0.742

which is almost constant. This is a feature of an exponential function.