The Following Figure, from Investor's Business Daily (March 5, 1998)

question 62

Multiple Choice

The following figure, from Investor's Business Daily (March 5, 1998) , shows how quickly the U.S. metal processing industry isconsolidating. The linear equation that is the best fit for the number of metal processors as a function of years after 1990 is , and the best exponential fit is . The linear equation seems to give a much better fit for the data points than the exponential equation. Why then is the exponential equation a more useful model to predict the number of metal processors in ? ​ ​

• A) The quantity of metal processing units as a function of time is exponential for the first five years, and linear for the next five years.
• B) As the quantity of metal processors decreases, they decrease at an increasingly logarithmic rate as a function of time.
• C) The number of metal processing units will probably start to increase in 2007.
• D) The linear model gives a negative number of processors in 2010. The exponential model is always non-negative.
• E) The number of metal processing units follows a parabolic model.

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Definitions:

Active Transport

The movement of molecules across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, requiring energy in the form of ATP.

Distal Convoluted Tubule

A portion of the nephron in the kidney where salt and water balance are regulated, and certain substances are reabsorbed into the blood.

Glucose

A basic form of sugar that serves as a crucial source of energy in living beings and forms a part of various carbohydrates.

Reabsorbed

The process by which substances are taken back into the bloodstream from the kidneys or other organs during filtration.