The area of the top surface of an 8.5-inch by 11-inch piece of paper is a function of the number of times it is folded in half. a. Identify the value of a. What does it represent in this situation?

b. Write an equation for the function that models this situation. Explain why this is an exponential function.

c. What is the area of the top surface after 4 folds? Round to the nearest tenth of a square inch.

d. What would the equation be if the original piece of paper had dimensions 11 inches by 17 inches? Compare this with the equation in Part b.