Here’s a question from the May 2023 (US) SAT, non-calculator section

Here’s a question from the May 2023 (US) SAT, non-calculator section:

Alice took 60 minutes to complete a task on her first trial. The time it took Alice to complete the task decreased by 10% of the previous time for each additional trial. Approximately how many minutes will it take Alice to complete the task on her fifth trial?

A) 50
B) 42
C) 39
D) 35

I know we can solve this by subtracting 10% of the current value 5 times, but is there a more direct way to solve, maybe as a function?

The temp T in °C of a chilled drink after the drink has been sitting on a table for m min…

This no-calc prompt is from the Daily Practice app:

The temp T in °C of a chilled drink after the drink has been sitting on a table for m min is represented by T(m) = 32 – 28*3^(-0.05m).

What is the best interpretation of the # 32 in this context?

A. The drink is originally 32°C.
B. Every 32 min, the temperature warms by 3°C.
C. After 32 min, the drink will fully warm to the ambient temp.
D. After the drink has been sitting for a very long time, the temp of the drink will approach 32°C.