198 ♦ Chapter 5 - Logarithms

Lists of Wrongs and Rights

Commonly made mistakes in logarithmic calculations

Wrong Right

1. ^log a h n = n log a 1. ^log a h n cannot be simplified

2. log x $ log y = log xy 2. log x $ log y cannot be simplified

3. log ^ x + y h = log x + log y 3. log ^ x + y h cannot be simplified

4. log x $ log x = log x 2 4. log x $ log x = ^log x h2

log b x
5. log y x = log x - log y 5. log y x =
log b x
log x log x
6. = log x - log y 6. = log y x
log y log y
log x
7. log x = 7. log x = log x - log 2
2 2 2
log 10 log 10 log 10
8. = 10 = 2 or = log 2 8. = log 5 10 . 1.43
log 5 5 log 5 log 5
log 2 5 log 2 5
9. = log 5 9. cannot be simplified
5 5

10. b x + b y = b x + y 10. b x + b y cannot be simplified

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 Section 5.1 - Exponents ♦ 199

5.1 Exponents

Logarithms are the study of exponents. Therefore,we must review our exponent properties as our first step in
understanding logarithms.

Exponential Function Properties

Where a and b are positive real numbers and exponents x and y are any real numbers:

4. ^b xh = b xy
x
1. b 0 = 1 2. b x $ b y = b x + y 3. b y = b x - y
y
b
6. ` a j = ` b j = b x 7. ^ab hx = a x b x
x x
5. b - x = 1x
-x
8. a x = a y if and only if x = y
b b a a

6x + 1
Example 1 Simplify 44x + 2
8

►Solution: 4 6x + 1 = 2 2 ^6x + 1h = 2 12x + 2 = 2 12x + 2 - 12x - 6 = 2 - 4 = 1 = 1

8 4x + 2 2 3 ^4x + 2h 2 12 + 6 24 16

Example 2 Solve 9 2x - 3 = 27 1 - x

►Solution: 9 2x - 3 = 27 1 - x " 3 2^2x - 3h = 3 3^1 - xh " 3 4x - 6 = 3 3 - 3x " 4x - 6 = 3 - 3x " 7x = 9 " x = 9

7

Graphing Exponential Functions

To gain a better understanding of exponents, we will look at the graph of y = b x , the exponential function.
The base can be any value greater than zero except 1. Therefore, we must look at 0 1 b 1 1 and b 2 1 . We
define the exponential function and its graph as follows:

Exponential Function
The equation f ^ x h = b x, b 2 0, b ! 1 is called an exponential function with base b, and
x any real value.

y y
Exponential Graphs:
(1, b)

1 1 (1, b)
x x

y = b x, b 2 1 y = b x, 0 1 b 1 1
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200 ♦ Chapter 5 - Logarithms

Basic Properties of Exponential Graphs

Before stating the basic properties of the exponential function graph y = a x , let us define a horizontal asymptote.

Definition of a Horizontal Asymptote

The line y = b is a horizontal asymptote for the graph f ^ x h = a x if f ^ x h " b ( read f ^ x h

approaches b ) as x " + 3 or x " - 3 . In other words, it is a horizontal line which y
approaches as x gets very large or very small.

The basic properties of the graph f ^ x h = b x can be stated as follows:

Basic Properties of the Graph f ^ x h = b x , b 2 0 , b ! 0

1. All graphs go through the point ^0, 1 h , and the graph has no x-intercept.
2. The x-axis is a horizontal asymptote with equation y = 0 .
3. When b 2 1 , f ^ x h = b x is an increasing function.
4. When 0 1 b 1 1 , f ^ x h = b x is a decreasing function.

Example 3 Sketch the graph.

a) f ^ x h = ` 1 j - 1 b) g ^ x h =- 3 x - 1 + 1
x

2

►Solution: a) This graph is a decreasing function, with the horizontal asymptote shifted down one unit.
The asymptote is f ^ x h =- 1 , with the graph going through the origin.
f ^ xh
y
x
−3 7
−2 3
−1 1
0 −1
1 − 0.5
x
2 − 0.75 f (x)=-1
3 − 0.875

b) This graph is a decreasing function, with the horizontal asymptote shifted up one unit.
The asymptote is g ^ x h = 1 , with the graph shifted one unit to the right from y = 3 x .
y

f (x)=1
x g^ xh x
−1 0.89
0 0.67
1 0
2 −2
3 −8

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 Section 5.1 - Exponents ♦ 201

Applications of Exponential Functions

Exponential function applications are found in all aspects of life, such as radioactive decay, bacteria growth,
spread of epidemics, and compound interest. Such functions are found in variations of the function
f ^ x h = A ^a xh where A is a constant. The compound interest formula shows such a variation.

Compound Interest Formula

Interest calculated on principle plus previously earned interest is called compound interest.
If P dollars is deposited at an annually rate r , compounded n times per year, then the
compounded amount A is given by the formula:

A = P`1 + r j
nt

n
Where: A = final amount, P = principle, or initial amount, r = rate of yearly interest
n = number of times yearly interest is compounded in a year, t = time in years

Example 4 Find the interest earned if $6500 is deposited in an account paying 6% compounded monthly
for five years.

►Solution: Compounded monthly means n = 12 .

A = P ` 1 + r j = 6500 ` 1 + 0.06 j
nt 12 # 5
= 8767.53
n 12
Therefore, the interest is 8767.53 - 6500 = $2267.53

Example 5 What initial investment is needed to become a millionaire in 25 years if you receive interest
at 12% compounded quarterly?

►Solution: Compounded quarterly means n = 4 .

A = P ` 1 + r j " 1 000 000 = P ` 1 + 0.12 j

4 # 25
" P = 1 000 100
000 = 52 032.84
nt

n 4 1.03
If $52 032.84 is invested at 12% for 25 years, the yield is $1 000 000.

Example 6 What is the better value: $10 000 invested at 6% compounded quarterly for 10 years,
or $10 000 invested at 6.25% compounded annually for 10 years?

A = 10 000 ` 1 + 0.06 j = $18 140.18 or A = 10 000 ` 1 + 0.0625 j

4 # 10 1 # 10
►Solution: = $18 335.36
4 1
The investment at 6.25% compounded annually is a better investment by $195.18.

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202 ♦ Chapter 5 - Logarithms

Growth and Decay

The growth and decay formula is another variation of f ^ x h = A ^a xh .

Growth and Decay Formulas

A = A 0 ^ x h T
t
A = A 0 e kt

A: final amount A: final amount

A0 : initial amount A0 : initial amount
x: growth or decay value* e: constant . 2.71828
t: total time remaining k: proportional constant
T: time of growth or decay by factor of x** t: time

*for half-life questions, use x = 21

for increasing by 10%, use 1 + .1 = 1.1
for decreasing by 10%, use 1 - .1 = 0.9
**for half-life questions, T = half-life

Example 7 The half-life of plutonium-239 is about 25 000 years. How much of a given sample will
remain after 2000 years?

Method 1: A = A 0 ^ x h T " A = 1 ` 1 j 25 000 " A = 0.946 or 94.6%

2000
t
►Solution:
2
Method 2: A = A 0 e kt " 1 = 1 $ e 25 000 $ k " k = ln 0.5
2 25 000
^ ln 0.5 h^ 2000h
A = A 0 e` 25 000 j t " A = 1 $ e
ln 0.5
25 000 " A = 0.946 or 94.6%

Example 8 The number of fruit flies increases by 25% every 3 days. If the population was 2000 fruit
flies after 25 days, how many were there initially?

A = A 0 ^ x h T " 2000 = A 0 ^1.25 h 3 " A 0 = 2000

t 25
►Solution: 25 = 311 fruit flies
1.25 3

Summary
An exponential function is in the form f ^ x h = ab x , where b 2 1 or 0 1 b 1 1 , b ! 1 and a, b, and x are real
numbers.

The function is one-to-one; the y-intercept is ^0, 1 h ; the domain is all real numbers; the range is 0 1 y 1 3 ;
the asymptote is the x-axis, y = 0 .

The graph y = b x - h shifts y = b x horizontally to the right if h 2 0 , and horizontally to the left if h 1 0 .

The graph y = b x + k , shifts y = b x vertically up if k 2 0 , and vertically down if k 1 0 .

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 Section 5.1 - Exponents ♦ 203

5.1 Exercise Set

1. Simplify.
^3 5 h ^3 - 3h ^- 4x 2 y - 2 h- 3
1 10

a) b)
9 x-1 y2

c) 125 3x - 1 $ 25 1 - 2x 4 5x 3
d) 2x $ 3 3 - 4x2 $ 3
5x

`5j
1 2x - 3 x - 2x

2 x ^2 x + 2 - xh - 2 x ^2 x - 2 - xh
e) ^4 - x $ 8 xh f)
2
2-2

2. Solve for x.

a) 4 x b) 3 x = 9 $ 3 - x
2 2
-x
=1

c) 4 x+1
= 2 3x - 2 d) 4 - x + 1 = 1
16

9 2x - 1 = ` 1 j
x+2
e) 4 - 2x + 1 = 8 x - 4 f)
27

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204 ♦ Chapter 5 - Logarithms

3. If y = ab x is defined by the given graph, sketch the shape of the new graph.
y

y y
a) y =- ab x b) y = ab - x

x x

4. Explain how the graphs of the equations can be obtained from the graph of y = 3 x . Graph each equation, and
state the domain, range, intercept(s), and asymptote.

a) y = 3 x + 2 - 3

b) y = ` 1 j + 2
x

c) y =- 3 - x

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 Section 5.1 - Exponents ♦ 205

5. Match each exponential equation with the correct graph.

y y
a) y = 4 -x
________ A x B y=1
y=0 x
b) y = 3 - x + 1 ________

c) y = 3 - x + 1 ________

d) y =- 4 - x ________
y y
e) y = 2 x + 1 - 2 ________ C D

f) y =- 2 x + 2 + 1 ________

y=0 y=0
x x

y y
E F

x y=1
x

6. Find the base in the exponential function y = b x that contains the given point.

a) ^- 1, 3 h b) ` 3 , 27 j c) ` - 2 , 1 j
2 3 9

7. Find the exponential function in the form 8. Sketch the graph of y = 2 x and y = 3 x on the same
y = c $ 2 kx that passes through ^0, 4h and coordinate plane. State the relationship between
^12, 256 h . y = 2 x and y = 3 x when x 1 0 , and when x 2 0 .

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
x
2
3x
y

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206 ♦ Chapter 5 - Logarithms

9. a) In 1933, an earthquake in Japan measured 8.9 b) If an earthquake in San Francisco had an amplitude
on the Richter scale. How many times more 1000 times larger than an earthquake that measured
powerful was this earthquake compared to an 4.9 on the Richter scale, what would the San Francisco
earthquake that measured 6.4 on the Richter earthquake measure?
scale? (The Richter scale is a power of 10 scale)

c) Suppose that $1000 is invested at an annual rate d) Radioactive argon-39 has a half-life of 4 minutes.
of 6%, compounded quarterly. Find the total This means that every 4 minutes, one half of the
amount in the account after 8 years if no amount of argon-39 changes into another substance
withdrawls are made. due to decay. If there is initially 84 grams of
argon-39, how much is remaining after 23 minutes?

e) If $12 250 is invested in an account paying 9.6%, f) If the population of Canada is around 30 million
how much will be in the account at the end of 10 people in the year 2000, and the population
years if the interest is compounded monthly? continues to grow at 1.9% compounded yearly,
what will the population be in the year 2032?

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