An exponential function is a special kind of math equation that helps us understand how things grow or shrink really quickly. Imagine you have a magic plant that doubles in size every day. Today it's only one inch tall, but tomorrow it will be two inches tall, and the next day it will be four inches tall, and so on. That's an example of an exponential function.
The tricky part is that exponential growth doesn't happen at a constant rate, like adding one inch to the plant every day. Instead, the plant (or whatever else is growing) grows faster and faster as it gets bigger. So after a week, it might be 128 inches tall!
Exponential functions are used in all kinds of fields, from finance to biology to computer science. They're really powerful tools for modeling and predicting how things change over time, especially when those changes happen quickly or when they're affected by other factors.