Question

the base of an exponential function cannot be a negative number.
a. true
b. false

Explanation:

An exponential function is typically defined as \( f(x) = a^x \), where \( a > 0 \) and \( a
eq 1 \). If the base \( a \) were negative, for example, \( a = -2 \), then for non - integer values of \( x \) (like \( x=\frac{1}{2} \), which would give \( (-2)^{\frac{1}{2}}=\sqrt{-2} \)), the function would not be a real - valued function for all real numbers \( x \). So, to have a well - defined exponential function (defined for all real numbers in the domain we usually consider), the base cannot be negative.

Answer:

A. True