What term describes the growth factor in an exponential function?

In the context of an exponential function, which is often expressed in the form ( f(x) = ab^x ), the letter that denotes the growth factor is commonly represented by "b." This growth factor "b" indicates how much the function grows or decays for each unit increase in ( x ).

When ( b > 1 ), the function is exhibiting exponential growth, meaning it will increase significantly as ( x ) increases. Conversely, if ( 0 < b < 1 ), the function represents exponential decay, showing a decrease as ( x ) increases.

Understanding the growth factor is critical because it directly influences the shape and behavior of the graph of the function. Thus, recognizing "b" as the growth factor helps in identifying how quickly the values will change as the input ( x ) changes.