[MAA 2.

10] EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS

SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

O. Practice questions

1.
2 x  13 x  log 2 13 10 x  13 x  log13
5x  13 x  log 5 13 e x  13 x  ln13

2.
ln A
In the form log a b In the form
ln B
ln 7
2x  7 x  log 2 7 x
ln 2
ln 2
7x  2 x  log 7 2 x
ln 7
3.
2 x 4  7 x  4  log 2 7  x  log 2 7  4
e x 4  7 x  4  ln 7  x  ln 7  4
10 x4  7 x  4  log 7  x  log 7  4

4.

3x  7 x  log 3 7

3x 4  7 x  log 3 7  4

log 3 7  4
32 x 4  7 x
2
x 4
3 2
7 x  2 log 3 7  4

34 x  7 x  4  log 3 7

5. (a) (b)

log 2 3  1 7
23 x1  3 x log 2 (3 x  1)  3 3 x  1  23  x 
3 3
ln 3  1 e 1
3
e3 x1  3 x ln(3 x  1)  3 3 x  1  e3  x 
3 3
log 3  1 3x  1  10  x  333
3
103 x1  3 x log(3 x  1)  3
3

1
6. (a)

e x3  5 x  3  ln 5  x  ln 5  3
5 5
2e x3  5 x  3  ln x  ln  3
2 2
ln 5 ln 5
2 x3  5 x3 x 3
ln 2 ln 2
(b) METHOD A

2 x 3  5 x  ( x  3) ln 2  x ln 5
 x ln 2  3ln 2  x ln 5  3ln 2  x(ln5  ln 2)
3ln 2 ln 8
 x  x
ln 5  ln 2 ln(5 / 2)
METHOD B
x
5x 5 ln 8
2 x  3  5 x  2 x 23  5 x  x
8  8 x 
2 2 ln(5 / 2)
7. (a) 3x1  9  3x1  32  x  3
log 5 ln 5
(b) (i) x  log 3 5  1 (ii) x  1 (iii) x  1
log 3 ln 3

8. METHOD A: Taking lns

6 x 1  23 x 1  ( x  1) ln 6  (3x  1) ln 2
 x ln 6  ln 6  3x ln 2  ln 2
 x(ln 6  3ln 2)  ln 6  ln 2
6 3 ln12
 x ln 3
 ln12  x ln  ln12  x 
2 4 3
ln
4
METHOD B:
x
6x 6x  3 ln12
6 x 1  23 x 1   23 x  2  x  12     12  x 
6 8  4 3
ln
4
9. (a) y 2  2 y  1  0  y  1
1
(i) let y  2 x : y   2  y 2  1  2 y  y 2  2 y  1  0  y  1
y
Hence 2  1  x  0
x

(ii), (iii), (iv) Similarly, we obtain the same quadratic, and the final solution is x  0
10.
1
x ln x  e ln x ln x  ln e  (ln x ) 2  1  ln x  1  x  e 1 (i.e. e and )
e
1
x log x  10 log x log x  log10  (log x ) 2  1  log x  1  x  10 1 (i.e. 10 and )
10
1
x log7 x  7 log 7 x log7 x  1  (log 7 x) 2  1  log 7 x  1  x  7 1 (i.e. 7 and )
7

2
 EXPONENTIAL vs LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
1
11. (a) f ( x)  ln( x  2)
(b) For f , x-intercept: x  ln 2 , y-intercept: y  1 , Horizontal asymptote: y  2
1
For f , x-intercept: x  1 , y-intercept: y  ln 2 , Vertical asymptote: x  2
(c)
Domain Range
f xR y  2
f 1
x  2 yR
1
12. (a) f ( x)  ln x  2
(b) For f , there is no x-intercept, y-intercept: y  e 2 , Horizontal asymptote: y  0
For f 1 , x-intercept: x  e 2 , there is no y-intercept, Vertical asymptote: x  0
(c)
Domain Range
f xR y0
f 1
x0 yR
1
13. (a) f ( x)  ln( x  2)  3
(b) For f , y-intercept: (0, e 3  2) , Horizontal asymptote: y  2
For f 1 , x-intercept: (e 3  2,0) , Vertical asymptote: x  2
(c)
Domain Range
f xR y2
f 1
x2 yR

A. Exam style questions (SHORT)

14. METHOD A:
x 1 ln15
3x 1  15  ln 3  ln15  x  1 
ln 3
ln 3  ln 5 ln 5
 x 1  x 
ln 3 ln 3
METHOD B:
ln 5
3x1  15  3x  3  15  3x  5  x 
ln 3
15 15 15
15. 2e x 1  15  e x 1   x  1  ln  x  1  ln
2 2 2

15 15 15
16. 2(10 x 1 )  15  10 x 1   x  1  log  x  1  log
2 2 2

6x ln 9
17. 6 x  3x  2  6 x  3x 32  x
 9  2x  9  x 
3 ln 2
6x 6x ln 54
18. 6 x 1  3x  2   3x32  x  54  2 x  54  x 
6 3 ln 2

3
19. (a) x + 2 = e3  x = e3  2
1  log 500 
(b) 2x = log10 500 x= log10 500    1.35 
2  log 100 
x
3 ln 25
20. 3x  5 x  2  3x  5 x 52     25  x 
5 3
ln
5
21. Taking logs,

xln3 + (2x + 1)ln4 = (x + 2)ln6

x(ln3 + 21n4 – ln6) = 21n6 – ln4
2 ln 6 – ln 4 ln 9
x=  (or a = 9, b = 8)
ln 3  2 ln 4 – ln 6  ln 8
OR
x
2 x 1 x2  3  42  6 2
(3 )(4 )  6  3 4 4  6 6  
x x 2x
 
x 2

 6  4
ln 9
 8x  9  x 
ln 8
22. 9e3x–ex = 0  9e3x = ex  9e2x =1
1 1
 e2x=  2x = ln
9 9
 x = –ln 3 (a = –1, b = 3)

23. Let y  2 x . y 2  9 y  8  0  y  1, y  8

2x  1  x  0
2x  8  x  3

24. Let y  e x .
EITHER divide by e x and obtain
e2 x  2  3e x  0 ,
hence y 2  3 y  2  0
OR
y 3  2 y  3 y 2  0  y ( y 2  3 y  2)  0
 y 2  3 y  2  0 or y  0 (rejected)

In any case,
y 2  3 y  2  0  y  1 or y  2
Therefore,
ex  1  x  0
e x  2  x  ln 2

4
 3
25. 2(5x+1) = 1 +
5x
3
10(5x) = 1 + x
5
Let y  5 .
x

3
10 y  1   10 y 2  y  3  10 y 2  y  3  0
y
1  11 1 12 3
Δ = 121, y  , y   (rejected) or y  
20 2 20 5
Hence
3 3
5x   x  log 5  log 5 3  1 (i.e x  1  log 5 3 )
5 5

26. Let y  5x .

10 y 2  3  y  10 y 2  y  3  0
Solution as above (question 25)

27. (a) Let y  4 x

(b) (i)

(ii) When ln a  2  a  e2

28. EITHER Let y  3x ,

1
9 y 2  24 y  9  3 y 2  8 y  3  0  y  3, y 
3
1
3x   x  1
3
OR Let y  3x 1

y 2  8 y  9  y 2  8 y  9  0  y  1, y  9

3x 1  1  x  1

5
29. EITHER Let y  2 x ,
3 1
8 y2  2 y  3  8 y2  2 y  3  0  y  , y  
4 2
3 3
2   x  log 2  x  2  log 2 3
x

4 4
OR Let y  2 x 1
3
2 y 2  y  3  2 y 2  y  3  0  y  1, y 
2
3 3
2 x 1   x  1  log 2  x  2  log 2 3
2 2
ex
30.  2  e x e3
e3
Let y  e x
y 2e3
 2  ye 3
 y  2e 3
 ye 6
 2e 3
 y (e 6
 1)  y 
e3 e6  1
3
 2e 3
e x  2e  x  ln 6 
e 1  e 1
6

31. x log 2 x  16  log 2 x log 2 x  log 2 16  (log 2 x )(log 2 x )  4  (log 2 x ) 2  4

log 2 x  2  x  22
1
x  4, x 
4

ln 5
32. log 2 (2 x  1)  2  2 x  1  4  2 x  5  x  log 2 5 (or x  )
ln 2

33. ln(e x  2e 2 x )  0  e x  2e2 x  1  2e2 x  e x  1  0

1 1
e x  1 (rejected) or e x   x  ln (   ln 2)
2 2

34. EITHER

OR directly x  0.440 or x  2.50

35. (a) 0 < 2x < 1 so x < 0

35
(b)  40  40  40  r =35 40  r =  5
1 r
1
 r = 2x =  x = 3
8

6
 MODELLING PROBLEMS

36. (a) At t = 2, N = 10e0.4(2) = 22.3 (3 sf)

Number of leopards = 22
(b) If N = 100, then solve 100 = 10e0.4t
ln 10
t= ~ 5.76 years (3 sf)
0.4
ln 2
(c) N=0 t ( = 1.73 years)
0.4

37. (a) p  100e0  100

(b) 200 = 100e0.05t,  2 = e0.05t  ln2 = 0.05t

t = ln2/ 0.05

38. (a) Initial mass  t = 0, mass = 4

(b) 1.5 = 4e–0.2t  ln 0.375 = –0.2t  t = 4.90 hours
ln 0.5
(c) When m = 2 (half of the initial value) t  ( = 3.47 years)
 0 .2

39. 10 000e 0.3t = 1500

ln 0.15
 0.3t ln e = ln 0.15  t  )
 0.3
t = 6.32 7 (years)

40. (a) 1 = (1/e)e5k , so e = e5k so 5k=1

k = 0.2
1 0.2t
(b) 100 = e
e
ln 100  1
t  28.0
0.2

41. P  P0 (1  0.023)t  P0 (1.023)t

ln 2
2 P0  P0 (1.023)t  2  (1.023)t  t   30.48...  30 minutes
ln1.023

42. (a) V  100(1  0.05) 20  $265 (or $265.33)

7
B. Exam style questions (LONG)

43. (a) (i) 2420

(ii) 1420 + 100n > 2000
n > 5.8
1999 (accept 6th year or n = 6)
(b) (i) 1 200 000(1.025)10 = 1 536 101
(accept 1 540 000 or 1.54(million))
1 536 101  1 200 000
(ii) × 100
1200 000
28.0% (accept 28.3% from 1 540 000)
(iii) 1 200 000(1.025)n > 2 000 000 (accept an equation)
 n > 20.69
2014 (accept 21st year or n = 21)
1 200 000
(c) (i) = 845
1420
1 200 000(1.025) n
(ii) < 600  n > 14.197
1420  100 n
15 years

44. (a) (i) n=5

T = 280  1.125 = 493
(ii) 280  1.12n = 560  1.12n = 2
n = 6.116...
in the year 2007
2560000
(b) (i) P = 39 635.993... = 39 636
10  90 e 0.15 
2560000
(ii) P = 46 806.997... not doubled (P < 51200)
10  90 e 0.17 
25600
(c) (i) . OR , 91.4 , OR 640 : 7
280
(ii) value 9.31.... after 10 years

45. (a) V(5) = 10000 × (0.9335) = 7069.8 … = 7070 (3 sf)

ln (0.5)
(b) 5000 =10000 × (0.933)t  0.5 = 0.933t  t =or = 9.9949
ln (0.933)
After 10 minutes 0 seconds, to nearest second (or 600 seconds).
(c) 0.05 = 0.933t  t = 43.197 minutes  3/4 hour
(d) (i) 10000 – 10000(0.933)0.001 = 0.693
0.693
(ii) Initial flow rate = = 693 = 690 (2 sf)
0.001
OR
dV
Later on, we may use derivatives to find this rate: = 690 (when t = 0)
dt