Which of the following terms best describes a condition in which a quantity decreases at a rate that is proportional to the current value of the quantity? A. Exponential decay B. Positive slope C. Negative slope D. Exponential growth

To solve this problem, let's consider the definitions of each term:A. **Exponential decay** refers to a process where a quantity decreases over time at a rate proportional to its current value. This is typically represented by a mathematical model where the quantity decreases by a constant percentage over equal time intervals. The formula for exponential decay is often written as , where is the quantity at time , is the initial quantity, is the base of the natural logarithm, and is the decay constant.B. **Positive slope** refers to a line on a graph that moves upward as it goes from left to right. This indicates that as the independent variable increases, the dependent variable also increases. It is not related to a rate that is proportional to the current value of a quantity.C. **Negative slope** refers to a line on a graph that moves downward as it goes from left to right. This indicates that as the independent variable increases, the dependent variable decreases. However, a negative slope does not necessarily mean that the rate of decrease is proportional to the current value of the quantity.D. **Exponential growth** is the opposite of exponential decay. It refers to a process where a quantity increases over time at a rate proportional to its current value. The formula for exponential growth is similar to decay but without the negative sign in the exponent: .Given these definitions, the term that best describes a condition in which a quantity decreases at a rate that is proportional to the current value of the quantity is **A. Exponential decay**. This is because exponential decay specifically involves a rate of change that is proportional to the quantity's current value.**The accurate answer is A. Exponential decay.**