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Exponential Growth and Decay

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The law of exponential change

 For a quantity y increases or decreases at a

rate proportional to it size at a give time t
follows the law of exponential change, as per

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
∝ 𝑦 (𝑡)⇒ =𝑘𝑦 (𝑡).
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑘 is the proportional constant. 3

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 𝑑𝑦
Rearrange the equation =𝑘𝑦:
𝑑𝑡
Put in the initial value of 𝑦 at 𝑡=0 is 𝑦 0:

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Example 1 Reducing the cases of
infectious disease
 Suppose that in the course of any given year
the number of cases of a disease is reduced
by 20%. If there are 10,000 cases today, how
many years will it take to reduce the number
to 1000? Assume the law of exponential
change applies.

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Example 3 Half-life of a radioactive
element
 The effective radioactive lifetime of polonium-
210 is very short (in days). The number of
radioactive atoms remaining after t days in a
sample that starts with y0 radioactive atoms is
y= y0 exp(-510-3t). Find the element’s half life.

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Solution
 Radioactive elements decay according to the
exponential law of change. The half life of a given
radioactive element can be expressed in term of the
rate constant k that is specific to a given radioactive
species. Here k=-510-3.
 At the half-life, t= t ,
1/2
y(t1/2)= y0/2 = y0 exp(-510-3 t1/2)
exp(-5 10-3 t1/2) = 1/2
 ln(1/2) = -5 10-3 t1/2
 t1/2 = - ln(1/2)/5 10-3 = ln(2)/5 10-3 = …

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