APFIVE The function $$CO2(t)=300*e^{0.02*(t-1950)}$$ is proposed to model the exponential increase in atmospheric CO2 levels resulting from the industrial combustion of fossil fuels. Which of the following pieces of evidence provides the best support for this model?
A calculation showing that the derivative of the carbon dioxide function, $$d(CO2)/dt = 300*0.02*e^{0.02*(t-1950)}$$, increases over time, confirming an exponential growth pattern that aligns with the continued rise in industrial emissions.
Evidence that atmospheric CO2 levels have remained nearly unchanged since 1950, suggesting that industrial emissions have had a minimal impact on the overall CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.
Analysis showing that CO2 levels exhibit large, unpredictable spikes that point more toward episodic natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, rather than a steady exponential trend driven by industrial activity.
Data that reflects a constant rate of CO2 increase, implying a linear model rather than an exponential one, which would be inconsistent with the expected effects of increasing industrial combustion.
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