Exponential Growth and Decay

It was kinda cool to think that a lot of events in life are actually exponential growth or decay. What I found to be most difficult was present and future values. Specifically inflation represented as the future value that is dependent on the interest rate. Its hard to keep track of interest when it is being compounded.

I would think that most of the class, myself included, would have the most difficulty with deciding which of the given functions (compounded annually v. compounded continuously) would be appropriate for a problem. For instance example 8 about the lottery. For the option of being paid out assuming a 6%interest rate, i didn't understand why r=-.06, is that compounded interest?

I just feel as if it were alluding to economics, which is in my opinion a difficult area of study.

I can relate better to the environmental examples.... i seem to have a better grasp on a concept when i can relate.