Exponential growth and decay in engineering
A collection of resources to provide ideas for setting exponential growth and decay in the context of engineering, together with materials to support teaching of these topics.
'Power Demand' poses the question: how can you predict future power requirements? The main focus is on solving problems involving exponential growth and decay.
There are two supporting resources. 'Exponential graphs' is a 'Core Maths' resource that asks students to match graphs into different classes. 'Logarithms' is a RISP 'always, sometimes or never true' activity where students need to be familiar with logs in different number bases.
Power Demand
This engineering resource asks the question: how can you predict future power requirements?
Students are required to complete a table by substituting values into a formula and plot a graph. The interactive file can be used to demonstrate some of the important aspects of growth and decline, offering work on geometric progressions. The main focus is on solving problems involving exponential growth and decay.
Exponential graphs
This Core Maths card-sorting activity explores exponential graphs.Students match graphs into different classes and match graphs with equations, as well as sketching the graphs of various exponential functions.
This resource could be used as a prelude to the 'Power Demand' activity.
Logarithms
RISP activity Building Log Equations requires students to form equations given a set of cards and to determine, with examples, whether the equation is always, sometimes or never true and to attempt to say why. Students must include at least one log card in their equation. Students need to be familiar with logs in different number bases.
This resource could be used as a follow up to the 'Power Demand' activity.
