GraphsExam Tips

Exam Tips for Exponential Graphs

Part of Exponential GraphsGCSE Mathematics

This exam tips covers Exam Tips for Exponential Graphs within Exponential Graphs for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Exponential Graphs in Graphs for GCSE Mathematics with 11 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 7 of 10 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.

Topic position

Section 7 of 10

Practice

11 questions

Recall

10 flashcards

💡 Exam Tips for Exponential Graphs

  • y-intercept is always (0, 1) for y = aˣ — mark this point first when sketching
  • Curve never crosses x-axis — draw it approaching but never touching the x-axis
  • Growth vs decay: growth curves rise to the right; decay curves fall to the right
  • For y = k × aˣ: the y-intercept is (0, k), not (0, 1)
  • Compound interest: use the formula A = P(1 + r/100)ⁿ — the multiplier is (1 + r/100) for growth, (1 − r/100) for decay
  • Check if exponential: calculate the ratio of consecutive terms — if constant, it is exponential

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Exponential Graphs. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Exponential Graphs

The graph of y = 3ˣ always passes through which point?

  • A. (0, 0)
  • B. (0, 1)
  • C. (1, 0)
  • D. (3, 0)
1 markfoundation

Explain why the graph of y = 3ˣ has a horizontal asymptote at y = 0, and state the domain of values that y can take.

2 markshigher

Quick Recall Flashcards

What is the asymptote of y = aˣ?
The x-axis (the line y = 0) is a horizontal asymptote. For growth (a > 1): as x → -∞, y → 0 but never reaches 0 For decay (0 < a < 1): as x → +∞, y → 0 but never reaches 0 The graph gets infinitely close to the x-axis but never crosses it. y is always positive — it never equals zero.
What is the y-intercept of any graph y = aˣ?
The y-intercept is always (0, 1). Reason: when x = 0, y = a⁰ = 1 for any base a. This is true for y = 2ˣ, y = 3ˣ, y = 5ˣ, and even y = (0.5)ˣ. All exponential graphs of the form y = aˣ pass through (0, 1).

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