3.6.

4 Practice: Modeling: Linear, Quadratic, and

Exponential Functions Practice
Algebra I Sem 2 Name:
Date:

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: National Park Animal Populations

You are studying the populations of three animals in a national park. Below are the
data sets for the animal populations. Circle the park that you chose:

Everglades
Yellowstone x Year
x Year Population 1,
Population 1, American
Grizzly Bears Alligator
y1 (per square mile) y1 (per square mile)
Population 2, Population 2,
Pocket Gophers Marsh Rabbit
y2 (per square mile) y2 (per square mile)
Population 3, Population 3,
Osprey Florida Panther
y3 (per square mile) y3 (per square mile)

x y1 y2 y3 x y1 y2 y3

0 4.0 4.0 4.0 0 6.0 6.0 6.0

1 4.5 4.5 5.8 1 6.5 6.5 7.8

2 5.0 5.3 7.2 2 7.0 7.3 9.0

3 5.5 6.4 8.2 3 7.5 8.4 9.8

4 6.0 8.1 8.8 4 8.0 10.1 10.0

5 6.5 10.6 9.0 5 8.5 12.6 9.8

8 8.0 28.6 7.2 8 10.0 30.6 6.0

10 9.0 60.7 4.0 10 11.0 62.7 1.0

Make Sense of the Problem

 What do you want to find out?

Analyze the Data

Population 1 (y1): grizzly bear (Write the animal species' name.)

Answer the following questions about the growth function of population 1:

1. Is population 1 increasing or decreasing? (0.5 point)

Increasing

2. What is the rate of change between year 0 and year 1 for population 1? What is it
between year 5 and year 10? Include calculations in your answer. (2 points)

The rate of change between year 0 and year 1 is .5 and the rate of change
between year 5 and 10 is also .5

3. Predict the average rate of change from year 5 to year 6 for population 1. Use the
average rate of change you found in question 2 in your prediction. (1 point)

I think the average rate of change from year 5 to year 6 is .5 this is

because each year the population is increasing by .5

4. What type of function best models the growth for population 1? Give a reason for
your answer. (1 point)

A linear function would model population 1 the best. It increases at a

steady rate of 0.5
Population 2 (y2): gophers (Write the animal species' name.)

Answer the following questions about the growth function of population 2:

5. What is the maximum population per square mile during the first 10 years for
population 2? (0.5 point)

The maximum population per square mile during the first 10 years is 60.7.

6. What is the average rate of change for population 2 between years 5 and 10 (x = 5
to x = 10)? (1 point)

10.02

7. The average rate of change for population 2 changes by a common ratio

(multiplication) of 1.5 each year. What type of function best models this growth? (1
point)

exponential function would best model this growth

8. Estimate the average rate of change from year 5 to year 6 for population 2.
Remember, the average rate of change for this population changes by a ratio of 1.5
each year. Show your work. HINT: First find the average rate of change from year 4
to year 5. (3 points)

The rate of change from year 5 to year 6 is about 3.75 since population 2
changes by a ratio of 1.5 each year. The rate of change from year 4 to 5 is
2.5 so 2.5*1.5 is 3.75

Population 3 (y3): Osprey(Write the animal species' name.)

Answer the following questions about the growth function of population 3:

9. What is the maximum population per square mile during the first 10 years for
population 3? In what year did this occur? (1 point)

The maximum population per square mile during the first 10 years is 9.0
this occured in year 5.

10. What is the average rate of change for population 3 between years 5 and 10 (x =
5 to x = 10)? Show your work. Identify the change as an increase or a decrease. (2
points)

Decrease

11. What type of function best models the growth for population 3? Give a reason for
your answer. (1 point)

quadratic function best models the growth for population 3 because at first
the population increases but then it decreases.

12. Use the graph provided. When do all three populations contain the same number
of animals? (1 point)
year 0 all three populations contained the same amount of animals
13. Use the following graphs to verify your work on this question.
A. Estimate the average rate of change from year 5 to year 8 for population 3. Show
your work. (2 points)

7.2-9/8-5 = -1.8/3 = -0.6

B. Estimate the average rate of change from year 8 to year 10 for population 3. Show
your work. (2 points)

4-7.2/10-8 = -3.2/2 = -1.6

C. Based on the answers to Parts A and B, estimate the number of animals in

population 3 in year 15, and give a reason for your estimate. (1 point)

The number of animals in year 15 will be 0. This is because the number of

animals keeps steadily going down and you cannot have a negative
number in terms of animals.

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3.6.4 Practice: Modeling: Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Functions