Why does the number e appear so often in nature?

[fomenkoa]

I am currently learning about logarithms and I understand that Log base e (or Ln) comes up quite often in solutions of logarithms

However, I also heard that it is a number that comes up often in nature

Are there any good examples of "e" in nature?

Anton

 

[Tide]

Euler's number will arise in any process in which the rate of change of a quantity is proportional to the quantity itself. Radioactive decay, Newton's Law of Cooling, Population Growth models and continuous compounding of interest are a few examples.

 

[Gonzolo]

Attenuation of wave intensity (light, sound, quantum etc.) when it is absorbed is another important example.