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This is a Higher-tier only topic in the AQA GCSE Mathematics specification. Growth and decay extends the compound interest and depreciation work into more general contexts, including population growth, radioactive decay, and exponential change. You need to be able to use and interpret exponential formulae and solve problems in context.
Exponential growth occurs when a quantity increases by a fixed percentage in each time period. This is the same principle as compound interest, applied more broadly.
Final Value = Initial Value x (Multiplier) to the power of n
Where:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Shape of graph | Starts slowly, then curves steeply upward |
| Rate of increase | Gets faster and faster over time |
| Multiplier | Greater than 1 |
| Real-world examples | Population growth, bacterial growth, investment returns |
Worked Example 1: A colony of bacteria doubles every hour. Starting with 500 bacteria, how many will there be after 8 hours?
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