Linear, quadratic or exponential worksheet for Pre-Algebra

Pre-Algebra uses short tables and word descriptions to sort patterns. Subtract each y from the next: a constant difference means linear. Divide each y by the one before: a constant ratio means exponential. Quadratic is offered as a choice, but the tables here are all linear or exponential. Some questions then ask for the rule.

Also taught in Algebra 1, at its own level and with its own examples.

Select your difficulty

Pick more than one for a sheet that mixes them.

The preview can look cramped on a phone. The PDF and printed sheet come out normal.



Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Linear, Quadratic or Exponential Date Period Answer each question. Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 9 & 27 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 2 & 4 & 8 & 16 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 9 & 11 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 11 & 15 & 19 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 4 & 9 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 4 & 5 & 8 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 5 & 7 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Write the rule from the table $\begin{aligned} Write y as a function of x for the values in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 7 & 12 & 19 & 28 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Write an equation that fits the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 4 & 16 & 64 & 256 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} What equation produces every pair in this table? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Use the table to write y in terms of x . \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 6 & 10 & 14 & 18 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} The table may be linear, quadratic or exponential. Write its rule. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 4 & 9 & 16 & 25 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Write the rule for the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 2 & 4 & 8 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} Find the rule that gives y from x in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 12 & 48 & 192 & 768 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Decide if each situation is linear or exponential The number of bacteria doubles every hour. Linear or exponential? A car loses 4% of its value each year. Linear or exponential? A plant grows 7 centimeters every week. Linear or exponential? The amount of a medicine in the blood is cut in half every 6 hours. Linear or exponential? A candle burns down 6 millimeters each hour. Linear or exponential? An investment earns 3% interest, compounded every year. Linear or exponential? Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Linear, Quadratic or Exponential

Date Period

Answer each question.

Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 9 & 27 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 2 & 4 & 8 & 16 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 9 & 11 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 11 & 15 & 19 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 4 & 9 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 4 & 5 & 8 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 5 & 7 \end{array} \end{aligned}$

Write the rule from the table
$\begin{aligned} Write y as a function of x for the values in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 7 & 12 & 19 & 28 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Write an equation that fits the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 4 & 16 & 64 & 256 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} What equation produces every pair in this table? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Use the table to write y in terms of x . \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 6 & 10 & 14 & 18 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} The table may be linear, quadratic or exponential. Write its rule. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 4 & 9 & 16 & 25 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Write the rule for the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 2 & 4 & 8 \end{array} \end{aligned}$
$\begin{aligned} Find the rule that gives y from x in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 12 & 48 & 192 & 768 \end{array} \end{aligned}$

Decide if each situation is linear or exponential
The number of bacteria doubles every hour. Linear or exponential?
A car loses 4% of its value each year. Linear or exponential?
A plant grows 7 centimeters every week. Linear or exponential?
The amount of a medicine in the blood is cut in half every 6 hours. Linear or exponential?
A candle burns down 6 millimeters each hour. Linear or exponential?
An investment earns 3% interest, compounded every year. Linear or exponential?



Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Linear, Quadratic or ExponentialAnswer keyVersion 2 Date Period Answer each question. Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 9 & 27 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Exponential $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 2 & 4 & 8 & 16 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Exponential $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 9 & 11 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 11 & 15 & 19 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 4 & 9 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Quadratic $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 4 & 5 & 8 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Quadratic $\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 5 & 7 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear Write the rule from the table $\begin{aligned} Write y as a function of x for the values in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 7 & 12 & 19 & 28 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x^{2} + 3$ $\begin{aligned} Write an equation that fits the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 4 & 16 & 64 & 256 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 4^{x}$ $\begin{aligned} What equation produces every pair in this table? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x$ $\begin{aligned} Use the table to write y in terms of x . \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 6 & 10 & 14 & 18 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 4 x + 2$ $\begin{aligned} The table may be linear, quadratic or exponential. Write its rule. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 4 & 9 & 16 & 25 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x^{2}$ $\begin{aligned} Write the rule for the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 2 & 4 & 8 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 2^{x}$ $\begin{aligned} Find the rule that gives y from x in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 12 & 48 & 192 & 768 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 3 \cdot 4^{x}$ Decide if each situation is linear or exponential The number of bacteria doubles every hour. Linear or exponential?Exponential A car loses 4% of its value each year. Linear or exponential?Exponential A plant grows 7 centimeters every week. Linear or exponential?Linear The amount of a medicine in the blood is cut in half every 6 hours. Linear or exponential?Exponential A candle burns down 6 millimeters each hour. Linear or exponential?Linear An investment earns 3% interest, compounded every year. Linear or exponential?Exponential Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Linear, Quadratic or ExponentialAnswer keyVersion 2

Date Period

Answer each question.

Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 9 & 27 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Exponential
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 2 & 4 & 8 & 16 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Exponential
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 9 & 11 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 7 & 11 & 15 & 19 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 4 & 9 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Quadratic
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 4 & 5 & 8 & 13 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Quadratic
$\begin{aligned} Linear, quadratic or exponential? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 3 & 5 & 7 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ Linear

Write the rule from the table
$\begin{aligned} Write y as a function of x for the values in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 7 & 12 & 19 & 28 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x^{2} + 3$
$\begin{aligned} Write an equation that fits the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 4 & 16 & 64 & 256 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 4^{x}$
$\begin{aligned} What equation produces every pair in this table? \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x$
$\begin{aligned} Use the table to write y in terms of x . \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 6 & 10 & 14 & 18 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 4 x + 2$
$\begin{aligned} The table may be linear, quadratic or exponential. Write its rule. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ y & 4 & 9 & 16 & 25 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = x^{2}$
$\begin{aligned} Write the rule for the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 1 & 2 & 4 & 8 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 2^{x}$
$\begin{aligned} Find the rule that gives y from x in the table. \\ \begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 12 & 48 & 192 & 768 \end{array} \end{aligned}$ $y = 3 \cdot 4^{x}$

Decide if each situation is linear or exponential
The number of bacteria doubles every hour. Linear or exponential?Exponential
A car loses 4% of its value each year. Linear or exponential?Exponential
A plant grows 7 centimeters every week. Linear or exponential?Linear
The amount of a medicine in the blood is cut in half every 6 hours. Linear or exponential?Exponential
A candle burns down 6 millimeters each hour. Linear or exponential?Linear
An investment earns 3% interest, compounded every year. Linear or exponential?Exponential

How to do these

Linear, quadratic or exponential? $\begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 5 & 10 & 20 & 40 \end{array}$

Differences: 5, 10, 20. Not constant, so not linear.
Ratios: 10 ÷ 5 = 2, 20 ÷ 10 = 2, 40 ÷ 20 = 2. Constant, so exponential.

The answer is Exponential.

Where students go wrong

Calling a table linear because it goes up every step. 3, 6, 12, 24 rises each time, but by 3, 6 and 12, not a constant amount; each y is twice the one before, so it is exponential.

Also called comparing function types, identifying functions from tables or first and second differences.

What you can put on this worksheet

Linear, quadratic or exponential: Linear, quadratic or exponential?
$\begin{array}{ccccc} x & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ y & 3 & 4 & 7 & 12 \end{array}$ → Quadratic
Write the rule from the table: Write the rule for the table.
$\begin{array}{ccccc} x & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ y & 5 & 8 & 13 & 20 \end{array}$ → $y = x^{2} + 4$
Linear or exponential, from a description: The amount of a medicine in the blood is cut in half every 6 hours. Linear or exponential? → Exponential

Questions about these worksheets

Yes. Every linear, quadratic or exponential 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.

Pre-Algebra is usually taken around 7th or 8th 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 linear, quadratic or exponential 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 two 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 3: linear, quadratic or exponential, write the rule from the table and linear or exponential, from a description. Tick as many as you want and set how many of each, or let it spread them evenly.

Calling a table exponential because it grows fast. Quadratic tables grow fast too; only a constant ratio makes it exponential.

Linear, quadratic or exponential worksheet for Pre-Algebra

Select your difficulty

Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential

Write the rule from the table

Decide if each situation is linear or exponential

Classify the table: linear, quadratic or exponential

Write the rule from the table

Decide if each situation is linear or exponential

How to do these

Where students go wrong

What you can put on this worksheet

Questions about these worksheets

Are these linear, quadratic or exponential worksheets free?+

Do the linear, quadratic or exponential worksheets come with an answer key?+

Are these linear, quadratic or exponential worksheets printable?+

What grade are these linear, quadratic or exponential worksheets for?+

Can I get a different version of the same linear, quadratic or exponential worksheet?+

Is this a free alternative to Kuta Software for linear, quadratic or exponential?+

Can I choose how hard the linear, quadratic or exponential questions are?+

What kinds of question are on a linear, quadratic or exponential worksheet?+

What do students get wrong with linear, quadratic or exponential?+