← Chapter 13
College Algebra · Chapter 13
Fit an Exponential Model
Data rarely lands on a perfect curve — your job is to
choose the right shape
and tune it until it hugs the points. Drag the two sliders to fit the data, then read what each number is
telling you
.
Your model vs. the data
data points
your model
miss (residual)
Why exponential? Look at the steps
y divided by the previous y (ratios)
y minus the previous y (differences)
Pick a dataset
then fit the curve
Exponential y = a·b
x
Linear y = a + bx
a — starting value
b — growth factor
Fit quality (R
2
)
Total squared miss (SSE)
Snap to best fit ✦