WGU Applied Algebra Exam - Topic 2 Question 2 Discussion

Actual exam question for WGU's Applied Algebra exam

Question #: 2
Topic #: 2

[All Applied Algebra Questions]

The weight of a radioactive sample is given by the function

where is the time, in years, and is the weight of the sample, in ounces.

What is the weight of the sample when ?

Aoz.

Boz.

Coz.

Doz.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: C

The function is:

This is an exponential decay function because the base is between 0 and 1:

That means the sample's weight decreases over time.

We need to find the weight when:

Substitute into the function:

First calculate the exponent:

Now multiply by :

Rounded to two decimal places:

So the weight of the radioactive sample after 3 years is approximately:

by Jeannetta at May 28, 2026, 08:54 AM

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9 hours ago

I’m confused about the units. Are we supposed to convert anything before calculating the weight?

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6 days ago

I feel like we did a practice question on radioactive decay last week. I think the answer was related to the half-life concept.

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11 days ago

I’m not entirely sure how to plug in the time value correctly. Did we practice something similar in class?

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16 days ago

I think I remember that radioactive decay functions usually involve an exponential decay formula. I hope I can apply that here.

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