The following data represent the number of cigarettes (in billions) exported from the United States by year.

Year …………………………….. Cigarette Exports (in billions of pieces)

1995 ……………………………………………………. 147.9

1998 ……………………………………………………. 231.1

1999 ……………………………………………………. 201.3

2000 ……………………………………………………. 151.4

2001 ……………………………………………………. 133.9

2002 ……………………………………………………. 127.4

2003 ……………………………………………………. 121.5

2004 ……………………………………………………. 118.7

(a) Let t = the number of years since 1995. Using a graphing utility, draw a scatter diagram of the data using t as the independent variable and number of cigarettes as the dependent variable.

(b) Using a graphing utility, build an exponential model from the data.

(c) Express the function found in part (b) in the form A(t) = A₀e^kt.

(d) Graph the exponential function found in part (b) or (c) on the scatter diagram.

(e) Use the exponential function from part (b) or (c) to predict the number of cigarettes that will be exported from the United States in 2010.

(f) Use the exponential function from part (b) or (c) to predict when the number of cigarettes exported from the United States will decrease to 50 billion.