A student measures the temperature of a cup of coffee and finds that the temperature approaches 212°F but never actually reaches it. What can be concluded about the function that models the temperature of the coffee?

Core Concept

The primary reason the student can conclude that the function approaches a horizontal asymptote is because the temperature approaches 212°F but never actually reaches it, which indicates that the function is approaching a horizontal asymptote. This is a characteristic of exponential functions, not functions with holes. (B) is incorrect because the function reaches its maximum value at 212°F, but it does not reach it. (C) is incorrect because the function is continuous, as the temperature of the coffee approaches 212°F but never actually reaches it. (D) is incorrect because a vertical asymptote represents a point of discontinuity, not a limit as x approaches a point in time.