Exponential growth and decay worksheet

A quantity that grows by the same percent each period is exponential: y = a(1 + r)^x with a the starting amount and r the rate. Decay is the same with 1 - r. The base tells you which: bigger than 1 grows, between 0 and 1 decays, and the distance from 1 is the rate.

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Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Exponential Growth and Decay Date Period Answer each question. $y = 2400 (1.08)^{x}$ A stock of $4500$ fish decreases by $4 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years A town of $2400$ people shrinks by $6 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 3 \cdot {(\frac{1}{2})}^{x} - 3$ $y = 1800 (0.96)^{x}$ A forest of $1500$ trees increases by $6 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years A stock of $1800$ fish grows by $12 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 2 \cdot 4^{x} - 5$ $y = 1500 (0.97)^{x}$ A town of $1800$ people increases by $3 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years A forest of $2400$ trees grows by $4 %$ each year. About how many after $6$ years? Round to the nearest whole number Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 8 \cdot 2^{x} + 5$ $y = 1800 (0.7)^{x}$ A herd of $4500$ deer decreases by $30 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years A herd of $1500$ deer grows by $15 %$ each year. About how many after $8$ years? Round to the nearest whole number Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 4 \cdot 5^{x} + 1$ $y = 3200 (1.3)^{x}$ A colony of $1500$ bacteria grows by $2 %$ each hour. Write $y$ after $x$ hours A phone worth $3200$ dollars loses value by $8 %$ each year. How much is it worth after $6$ years? Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 6 \cdot 3^{x} - 2$ Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Exponential Growth and Decay

Date Period

Answer each question.

$y = 2400 (1.08)^{x}$
A stock of $4500$ fish decreases by $4 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years
A town of $2400$ people shrinks by $6 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 3 \cdot {(\frac{1}{2})}^{x} - 3$
$y = 1800 (0.96)^{x}$
A forest of $1500$ trees increases by $6 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years
A stock of $1800$ fish grows by $12 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 2 \cdot 4^{x} - 5$
$y = 1500 (0.97)^{x}$
A town of $1800$ people increases by $3 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years
A forest of $2400$ trees grows by $4 %$ each year. About how many after $6$ years? Round to the nearest whole number
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 8 \cdot 2^{x} + 5$
$y = 1800 (0.7)^{x}$
A herd of $4500$ deer decreases by $30 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years
A herd of $1500$ deer grows by $15 %$ each year. About how many after $8$ years? Round to the nearest whole number
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 4 \cdot 5^{x} + 1$
$y = 3200 (1.3)^{x}$
A colony of $1500$ bacteria grows by $2 %$ each hour. Write $y$ after $x$ hours
A phone worth $3200$ dollars loses value by $8 %$ each year. How much is it worth after $6$ years?
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 6 \cdot 3^{x} - 2$



Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Exponential Growth and DecayAnswer keyVersion 1 Date Period Answer each question. $y = 2400 (1.08)^{x}$ Growth, $8 %$ A stock of $4500$ fish decreases by $4 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 4500 (0.96)^{x}$ A town of $2400$ people shrinks by $6 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $1375$ Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 3 \cdot {(\frac{1}{2})}^{x} - 3$ $(0, 0)$ , $y = - 3$ $y = 1800 (0.96)^{x}$ Decay, $4 %$ A forest of $1500$ trees increases by $6 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 1500 (1.06)^{x}$ A stock of $1800$ fish grows by $12 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $4992$ Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 2 \cdot 4^{x} - 5$ $(0, - 3)$ , $y = - 5$ $y = 1500 (0.97)^{x}$ Decay, $3 %$ A town of $1800$ people increases by $3 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 1800 (1.03)^{x}$ A forest of $2400$ trees grows by $4 %$ each year. About how many after $6$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $3037$ Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 8 \cdot 2^{x} + 5$ $(0, 13)$ , $y = 5$ $y = 1800 (0.7)^{x}$ Decay, $30 %$ A herd of $4500$ deer decreases by $30 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 4500 (0.7)^{x}$ A herd of $1500$ deer grows by $15 %$ each year. About how many after $8$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $4589$ Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 4 \cdot 5^{x} + 1$ $(0, 5)$ , $y = 1$ $y = 3200 (1.3)^{x}$ Growth, $30 %$ A colony of $1500$ bacteria grows by $2 %$ each hour. Write $y$ after $x$ hours $y = 1500 (1.02)^{x}$ A phone worth $3200$ dollars loses value by $8 %$ each year. How much is it worth after $6$ years? $1940.34$ Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 6 \cdot 3^{x} - 2$ $(0, 4)$ , $y = - 2$ Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Exponential Growth and DecayAnswer keyVersion 1

Date Period

Answer each question.

$y = 2400 (1.08)^{x}$ Growth, $8 %$
A stock of $4500$ fish decreases by $4 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 4500 (0.96)^{x}$
A town of $2400$ people shrinks by $6 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $1375$
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 3 \cdot {(\frac{1}{2})}^{x} - 3$ $(0, 0)$ , $y = - 3$
$y = 1800 (0.96)^{x}$ Decay, $4 %$
A forest of $1500$ trees increases by $6 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 1500 (1.06)^{x}$
A stock of $1800$ fish grows by $12 %$ each year. About how many after $9$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $4992$
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 2 \cdot 4^{x} - 5$ $(0, - 3)$ , $y = - 5$
$y = 1500 (0.97)^{x}$ Decay, $3 %$
A town of $1800$ people increases by $3 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 1800 (1.03)^{x}$
A forest of $2400$ trees grows by $4 %$ each year. About how many after $6$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $3037$
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 8 \cdot 2^{x} + 5$ $(0, 13)$ , $y = 5$
$y = 1800 (0.7)^{x}$ Decay, $30 %$
A herd of $4500$ deer decreases by $30 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years $y = 4500 (0.7)^{x}$
A herd of $1500$ deer grows by $15 %$ each year. About how many after $8$ years? Round to the nearest whole number $4589$
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 4 \cdot 5^{x} + 1$ $(0, 5)$ , $y = 1$
$y = 3200 (1.3)^{x}$ Growth, $30 %$
A colony of $1500$ bacteria grows by $2 %$ each hour. Write $y$ after $x$ hours $y = 1500 (1.02)^{x}$
A phone worth $3200$ dollars loses value by $8 %$ each year. How much is it worth after $6$ years? $1940.34$
Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 6 \cdot 3^{x} - 2$ $(0, 4)$ , $y = - 2$

How to do these

$y = 500 (0.92)^{x}$

The base is 0.92, which is less than 1, so it decays.
1 - 0.92 is 0.08, which is 8 percent.

The answer is Decay, $8 %$ .

Where students go wrong

Reading 0.92 as a 92 percent rate. The rate is how far the base sits from 1, not the base itself.

Also called exponential functions, growth and decay, percent growth or exponential decay.

What you can put on this worksheet

Growth or decay, and the rate: $y = 250 (0.75)^{x}$ → Decay, $25 %$
Write the function from a rate: A town of $250$ people shrinks by $25 %$ each year. Write $y$ after $x$ years → $y = 250 (0.75)^{x}$
The amount after some time: A forest of $250$ trees shrinks by $25 %$ each year. About how many after $2$ years? Round to the nearest whole number → $141$
The y-intercept and the asymptote: Find the $y$ -intercept and the asymptote of $y = 3 \cdot 4^{x}$ → $(0, 3)$ , $y = 0$

Questions about these worksheets

Yes. Every exponential growth and decay sheet is free to print and free to download as a PDF. There is no account to make, no email to hand over and no limit on how many you take.

Yes. The answer key prints on a second page, and you can choose whether it shows each question beside its answer or just the answers in a list.

Yes. Print straight from the page, or download the PDF and print that. The sheet is laid out for paper rather than squeezed off a screen, so there is room to work under each question, and the answer key comes out on its own page.

Algebra 1 is usually taken around 8th or 9th grade, though schools vary and plenty of students meet it earlier or later. Pick the difficulty rather than the grade: the easy level suits a first lesson on it, the hard level suits review before a test.

Yes, as many as you like. The questions are built fresh each time rather than picked from a fixed set of files, so pressing Generate gives a new sheet. That is what you want for a second class, a retake, or two students sitting next to each other.

That is the closest comparison, and Kuta Software is good software. It is also paid software you install on a computer. These worksheets run in a browser tab for free, with no account and nothing to install. Like Kuta, the exponential growth and decay questions are generated when you ask for them rather than pulled from a fixed set of files, so two classes never get the same sheet, and the answer key comes with it.

Yes. There are three levels, and you can tick more than one for a sheet that mixes them, in which case the questions come out easiest first. The harder levels are not just larger numbers: they ask for something the easy ones do not.

You pick from 4: growth or decay, and the rate, write the function from a rate, the amount after some time and the y-intercept and the asymptote. Tick as many as you want and set how many of each, or let it spread them evenly.

Reading 0.92 as a 92 percent rate. The rate is how far the base sits from 1, not the base itself.

Exponential growth and decay worksheet

Select your difficulty

Exponential Growth and Decay

Exponential Growth and DecayAnswer keyVersion 1

How to do these

Where students go wrong

What you can put on this worksheet

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