Set m = 1 and k = 2. Use the slider to experiment with the “a”, the base of the exponential. What effect does changing “a” have on the graph of the exponential?

The base a controls the exponential growth or decay rate: changing it makes the graph increase or decrease more rapidly. With m and k fixed, changing a does not change whether the output is positive or negative. The correct choice is “Changes how rapidly the graph increases or decreases.”

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