The exponential growth that Paenza plays with is hypothetical, but real-world exponential growth patterns exist all around us—in microbiology, economics, public health, and technology, to name just a few. Identify some instances of exponential growth in one or more of these domains. Working with classmates, create an exhibit for younger students that defines exponential growth, shares real-world examples, and suggests simple experiments that they can do in order to see exponential growth in action.

Assume that you’re working with a piece of paper that’s 0.001 cm thick, as Paenza proposes, and one meter on each side. At what point will you be unable to fold the paper anymore because its thickness has exceeded the area available for folding?

For more about exponential growth, watch this video on the "Legend of the Chessboard."

Click here to see the collection of books on mathematics written by Adrian Paenza.

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