Question

a population of 240 birds increases at a rate of 16% annually. jemel writes an exponential function of the form $f(x)=ab^x$ to represent the number of birds after $x$ years. which values should she use for $a$ and $b$?
$a = \square$
$b = \square$

Explanation:

Step1: Identify initial population ($a$)

The initial population is the starting number of birds, so $a = 240$.

Step2: Calculate growth factor ($b$)

Convert the growth rate to decimal and add 1:
$b = 1 + 0.16 = 1.16$

Answer:

$a = 240$
$b = 1.16$