Western Governors University (WGU) MATH1200 C957 Applied Algebra Practice Exam

The general form of an exponential function is represented as f(x) = Ca^x, where "C" is a constant and "a" is the base of the exponential term, which must be a positive real number other than 1. In this function, as "x" increases, the value of f(x) changes exponentially based on the base "a".

This form illustrates how exponential growth or decay occurs; for example, if "a" is greater than 1, the function models exponential growth, meaning that as "x" increases, f(x) increases rapidly. Conversely, if the base "a" is between 0 and 1, it models exponential decay, where f(x) decreases as "x" increases.

The other choices represent different types of functions: linear functions, quadratic functions, and logarithmic functions. Each of these has distinct characteristics and equations that do not exhibit the properties of exponential growth or decay. Therefore, only the choice representing f(x) = Ca^x correctly describes the general form of an exponential function.