Function Type | Modeling Example
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Linear Function 
| Linear functions are used to model a constant rate of change between two quantities.
The following are examples where linear functions can be used to model real-world phenomena:
ocean depth versus water pressure comparing rates of pay comparing cell phone service costs gas mileage rates height of skyscraper versus the number of floors
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Exponential Function
| Exponential functions are often used to model growth and decay processes.
The following are examples where exponential functions can be used to model real-world phenomena:
bacterial colony growth social media subscriber rates radioactive decay of Cesium 137 from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor compound interest on banking deposits US inflation index change
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Quadratic Function
| Quadratic functions are used to model physical behavior and in business applications.
The following are examples where quadratic functions can be used to model real-world phenomena:
optimize dimensions of an area path of a projectile or thrown object number of products to sell to make a profit shape of a parabolic mirror, a reflecting telescope, or a satellite dish resistance of individual resistors placed in parallel in a circuit stopping distance for a car or any vehicle amount of rainfall versus crop yield
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Trigonometric Function
(or a sinusoidal function)
| Trigonometric functions are used to model periodic behavior.
The following are examples where trigonometric functions can be used to model real-world phenomena:
daily low and high temperatures for a region harmonic motion of a mass on a spring sound wave generated by a tone voltage output of a typical US electrical outlet water levels at buoys during low and high tides
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