Which kind of function best models the data in the table? Use differences or ratios.
x. y
0. 1.7
1. 6.8
2. 27.2
3. 108.8
4. 435.2
Linear
quadratic
exponential
none of the above
The best function that models the data in the table is an exponential function.
If we divide each term by the previous term, we get the following ratios:
6.8 / 1.7 = 4
27.2 / 6.8 = 4
108.8 / 27.2 = 4
435.2 / 108.8 = 4
This implies that each term is 4 times the previous term, which is a characteristic of an exponential function.