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The Exponential Function

The document discusses exponential functions including defining and evaluating exponential functions, solving exponential equations, and graphing exponential functions where the base is greater than 1 and between 0 and 1. Key aspects covered include exponential growth, the form of an exponential function, evaluating at values for x, solving exponential equations, and characteristics of graphs of exponential functions for different bases.

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Lucas Bonifacio
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150 views

The Exponential Function

The document discusses exponential functions including defining and evaluating exponential functions, solving exponential equations, and graphing exponential functions where the base is greater than 1 and between 0 and 1. Key aspects covered include exponential growth, the form of an exponential function, evaluating at values for x, solving exponential equations, and characteristics of graphs of exponential functions for different bases.

Uploaded by

Lucas Bonifacio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Exponential Function

Objectives:
 Define Exponential Function.
 Evaluate Exponential function.
 Solve Exponential equations.
 Graph Exponential functions.
 In their study of different species,
biologists have observed that some
population (e.g., people, animals, or
microorganisms) always double in size at
a fixed period of time. This indicates an
exponential growth in the population.
Compound interest used by banks is also
based on exponential growth.
 Exponential growth is an increasing
function that follows an exponential
pattern.
Example
 Determine the difference of the following
equations:
y = 2x and y = 2x
 An exponential function is a function of
the form f(x) = ax where the variable x is
an exponent and the base a is a constant
with a > 0 and a  1
Evaluating Exponential Functions
 Evaluate f(-2), f(0), and f(2) for the
following functions:
a) f(x) = 2x
1 𝑥
b) f(x) =
2
c) f(x) = -4x
Solving Exponential Equations
 Exponential Equation – is an equation that
has variable in the exponent.
Example
 Solve the equations.
a) 32x = 3x + 1
b) 4x – 2 = 43x
c) 36x = 6x – 1
d) 8x = 4x – 1
Example
 Let f(x) = 3x. If f(x) = 27, find x.

1 2−3𝑥
 Let g(x) = . Find x if g(x) = 16.
2
The Graph of the Exponential
Function f(x) = ax
There are no restrictions on the value of x for
the function f(x) = ax. The domain of the
function is the set of all real numbers. This
means that the function is defined when
rational and irrational numbers are used as
exponents in the equation. In obtaining values
of ordered pairs for graphing the exponential
function, you need only a few arbitrary points.
Try to obtain values of x that will make the
exponent positive, zero, and negative to obtain
a representative for each location.
For Bases greater than 1 (a1)
Example:
Sketch the graph of the following;
a) f(x) = 2x
b) f(x) = 5x
Graph of f(x) = 2x
 The graph lies entirely in the first and second
quadrants.
 The value of x increases, 2x also increases and is
always positive.
 The graph lies above the x-axis implying that the
range is the set of all positive real numbers.
 The graph approaches the x-axis but does not
touch it.
 There is no x-intercept. This means that x-axis is
an asymptote for the graph of the function.
 The graph crosses the vertical axis at (0, 1);
therefore its y-intercept is 1.
Characteristics of the function
f(x) = ax for a 1
 The domain is the set of all real numbers.
 The range is the set of all positive real
numbers.
 The y-intercept is 1.
 The x-axis is a horizontal asymptote and
there is no x-intercept.
 As you go from left to right along the curve,
the graph rises steeply indicating a sharp
increase in y-values.
 There is no vertical asymptote.
For Bases between 0 and 1
(0  a  1)
 Sketch the graph of the following:
1 𝑥
a) f(x) =
2
−𝑥
b) f(x) = (4)
Graphs
Characteristics of the graph of the
function f(x) = ax for 0 < a < 1
 The domain is the set of all real numbers.
 The range is the set of all positive real
numbers.
 The y-intercept is 1.
 The x-axis is a horizontal asymptote.
 There is no vertical asymptote.

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