Exponential Decay

Definition

Exponential decay refers to the process by which something decreases rapidly initially and then continues to decrease over time, following an exponential pattern. In mathematics, it can be represented by an exponential function with a negative exponent.

Analogy

Imagine you have a hot cup of coffee. As time passes, the temperature of the coffee decreases rapidly at first and then gradually cools down exponentially. This behavior is similar to how exponential decay works in math.

Related terms

Exponential Growth: Exponential growth is the opposite of exponential decay, where something increases rapidly initially and then continues to grow over time according to an exponential pattern.

Half-Life: The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of a substance or quantity to decay or decrease by half through exponential decay.

Decay Constant: The decay constant represents how quickly something decays or decreases over time in an exponential decay model.