MCF3M – Exponential Functions Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

Know App Think Comm

Performance Task
Exponential Functions Level Level Level Level

1. The neighbouring towns of Springfield and Shelbyville were both founded in the
year 1900. Springfield started with 100 settlers and had an average yearly growth
rate of 5%. Shelbyville started with only 40 settlers but had a growth rate of 8%.
Assume a constant rate of growth for each town.
a) Determine a formula relating the population of Springfield, P, and the number
of years, t.

b) Determine a formula relating the population of Shelbyville, P, and the number

of years, t.

c) Determine which town has the higher population in the year 1950.
Springfield Shelbyville

d) Use a graphical model to determine the number of years it will take each town to reach a population
of 50 000. Verify your solution using your algebraic model. Don’t forget to print your graph.
Springfield Shelbyville

e) Use a graphical model to determine in what year Springfield and Shelbyville will have the same
population. Verify your solution using your algebraic model. Don’t forget to print your graph.
Springfield Shelbyville
MCF3M – Exponential Functions Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

2. In the year 1980, both towns had an earthquake. The Earthquake uncovered an archaeological find in
Shelbyville and a fossil was discovered. The formula for the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a fossil is
, where M(t) is the amount of carbon-14 in the fossil at time t, and M0 is the original
amount of carbon-14. Use a graphical model to calculate the age of the fossil if 20% of the original
amount of carbon is remaining. Verify (and refine) your solution using the formula. Don’t forget to print
your graph.

3. In 1960, the city of Springfield set up a disaster relief fund based on donations. They invested the funds
into an account which earned on average 8% interest per year, compounded annually. How much
money should Springfield have invested in 1960 in order to have the investment grow to $1 000 000 in
1980 when the earthquake hit?

4. In 1970, Shelbyville’s budget was at a surplus. City council decided to invest the $400 000 surplus at
4.25% per year compounded annually.
a) Determine an equation relating the amount of money, A, and the number of years, n.

b) Use the equation to determine the accumulated amount of money available when the earthquake hit.

c) Use a graphical model to determine how long would it take for the money in the fund to reach
$1 000 000. Verify your solution using your equation in part (a). Don’t forget to print your graph.
MCF3M – Exponential Functions Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

d) Describe how the graph would change if the interest rate were 7%.

e) Describe how the graph would change if only $200 000 of the surplus were invested initially.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Category/ Criteria
(50-59%) (60-69%) (70-79%) (80-100%)
demonstrates a demonstrates demonstrates a
Knowledge/ demonstrates some
limited understanding considerable thorough
Understanding understanding of
of concepts relating understanding of understanding of
Understanding concepts relating to
to exponential concepts relating to concepts relating to
Concepts exponential functions
functions exponential functions exponential functions
applies concepts or
Application
applies concepts or applies concepts or applies concepts or procedures with
Application of
procedures with procedures with some procedures considerable
concepts or
limited effectiveness effectiveness effectively effectiveness and
procedures
efficiency
Thinking/Problem creates appropriate
creates exponential creates exponential creates appropriate
Solving exponential models
models that address models that address exponential models
Creation of a model that integrate all or
few aspects of the some aspects of the to address the
(either graphical or almost all aspects of
problem problem problem
algebraic) the context
Communication demonstrates limited demonstrates some demonstrates demonstrates clear
Clarity of clarity in clarity in considerable clarity explanation
explanations explanations explanations in explanations consistently
Note: A student whose achievement is below Level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this task.
MCF3M – Exponential Functions Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

Some Graphing Hints:

Labels and Titles

Use the Text Label Tool A to insert titles and labels into your
graphs.
You can also change the axes labels in the x and y tabs when you
Edit Axes Settings.

Graph for question 1d

Edit axes settings: x-axis tab y-axis tab

Minimum -20 -2 400
Maximum 150 65 000
Tick Unit 20 5 000
Grid Unit 5 2 500
Plot both graphs on the same set of axes – be sure to label each graph

Graph for question 1e

Use the graph from 1d, only ZOOM in to the area where the two graphs intersect

Graph for question 2

Edit axes settings: x-axis tab y-axis tab

Minimum -1 000 -20
Maximum 15 000 150
Tick Unit 1 000 20
Grid Unit 500 10

Graph for question 4c

Edit axes settings: x-axis tab y-axis tab

Minimum -5 -40 000
Maximum 30 1 200 000
Tick Unit 5 30 000
Grid Unit 1 10 000
MCF3M – Exponential Functions Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

Use the Evaluate/Trace tool to help you pinpoint a specific location on the graph. This will give you
the (x, y) coordinates of any point along the curve. Simply select the equation in the left pane, click the
Evaluate/Trace tool button and click and drag (any where on the graph) to move the dotted lines along the
curve. Note the x and f(x) values change as you move the dotted lines along the curve.

Printing your graphs

You are welcome to print each graph on a separate page (choose File  Print), or if you would like to
conserve paper, choose File  Save As Image. Enter a file name and choose .jpg as the ‘Save As Type’.
Then, insert your images into Word (Insert  Image From File) and resize images accordingly. Finally print
the Word document.