Mathematics
What is Exponential growth?
Exponential growth is when something increases by a constant percentage each period, so it grows faster and faster over time. A small amount can become enormous surprisingly quickly — think compound interest or a spreading virus.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains exponential growth.
Key things to understand
- 1The amount grows by a fixed percentage each step, not a fixed number.
- 2Growth accelerates: the bigger it gets, the faster it adds.
- 3Examples: compound interest, populations, viral spread.
- 4It's easy to underestimate — small starts explode over time.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between linear and exponential growth?
- Linear adds a fixed amount each step; exponential multiplies by a fixed percentage, so it accelerates.
- What is a real example of exponential growth?
- Money in a compounding account, or the early spread of an infectious disease.
- Why is exponential growth surprising?
- It stays small for a while, then suddenly explodes — humans tend to underestimate it.