SolvingExponentialEquations

DecidingHowtoSolveExponentialEquations
Whenaskedtosolveanexponentialequationsuchas2
x+ 6
=32or5
2x 3
=18,thefirstthingweneedtodo
istodecidewhichwayisthebestwaytosolvetheproblem.Someexponentialequationscanbesolvedby
rewritingeachsideoftheequationusingthesamebase.Otherexponential equationscanonlybesolvedby
usinglogarithms.Howdowedecidewhatisthebestwaytosolveanexponentialequation? Thekeyisto
lookatthebaseoftheexponentialequationanddetermineiftheeachsideoftheproblemcanberewritten
usingthesamebase.
Ifweconsidertheproblem2
x+ 6
=32,thebaseoftheexponentis2andweneedtodecideifwecanrewrite
thenumber32usingonlythenumber2.Inthiscaseitispossibletowritethenumber32usingonly2s,32
=22222 =2
5
. Thismeansthatthebestwaytosolvetheproblem2
x+6
=32istorewritetheproblem
usingthebase2.Ifweconsidertheproblem5
2x 3
=18,thebaseoftheexponentis5andweneedtodecide
ifwecanrewritethenumber18usingonlythenumber5.Inthiscaseitisimpossibletowritethenumber18
usingonly5s,18=233=23
2
.Thismeansthatthebestandonlywaytosolvetheproblem5
2x 3
=18is
touselogarithms.
SolvingExponentialEquationswiththeSameBase
Afterdecidingthebestwaytosolveanexponentialequationisby rewritingeachsideoftheequationusing
thesamebase,whatisnext?
Thisstatementsimplysaysthatifthebasesarethesamethentheexponentsmustbethesame.Tosolvean
exponentialequationwiththesamebase,firstweneedtorewritetheproblemusingthesamebaseandafter
gettingthebasesthesamewecandropthebasesandsettheexponentsequaltoeachother.
Letsfinishsolvingtheproblem 2
x+6
=32frombefore.Inthisproblem wehavealreadyseenthatboth2
and32canbewrittenusingthenumber2.Ifwecontinuefromthereweget:
Rewritetheproblemusingthesamebase.
x+6=5 Sincethebasesarethesame,wecandropthebasesandsetthe
exponentsequaltoeachother.
x=1 Finishsolvingbysubtracting6fromeachside.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem2
x+6
=32isx=1.
SolvingExponentialEquationswiththeSameBase
IfB
M
=B
N
,thenM=N.
x 6 5
2 2
+
=
Thereisanotherexample,solve9
2x 5
=27.
9
2x 5
=27 Determineif9and27canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
caseboth9and27canbewrittenusingthebase3.
Rewritetheproblemusingthesamebase.
Usethepropertiesofexponentstosimplifytheexponents,whena
powerisraisedtoapower,wemultiply thepowers.
4x 5=3 Sincethebasesarethesame,wecandropthebasesandsetthe
exponentsequaltoeachother.
x=2 Finishsolvingby adding5toeachsideandthendividingeachside
by4.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem9
2x 5
=27isx=2.
Nowthatwehavelookedatacoupleofexamplesofsolvingexponential equationswiththesamebase,lets
listthestepsforsolvingexponentialequationsthathavethesamebase.
SolvingExponentialEquationswiththeDifferent Bases
Afterdecidingtheonlywaytosolveanexponentialequationistouselogarithms,whatisnext? Thenext
stepistotakethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.Bytakingthelogarithmofeachside,
wecanusethepropertiesoflogarithms,specifically property5fromourlistofproperties,torewritethe
exponentialproblemasamultiplicationproblem.Afterchangingtheproblemfromanexponentialproblem
toamultiplicationproblemusingthepropertiesoflogarithmswewillbeabletofinishsolvingtheproblem.
StepsforSolvingExponentialEquationswiththeSameBase
Step1: Determineifthenumberscanbewrittenusingthesamebase.Ifso,gotoStep2.Ifnot,
stopanduseStepsforSolvinganExponentialEquationwithDifferentBases.
Step2: Rewritetheproblemusingthesamebase.
Step3: Usethepropertiesofexponentstosimplifytheproblem.
Step4: Oncethebasesarethesame,dropthebasesandsettheexponentsequaltoeachother.
Step5: Finishsolvingtheproblembyisolatingthevariable.
( )
2x 5
2 3
3 3
-
=
4x 5 3
3 3
-
=
Letsfinishsolvingtheproblem5
2x 3
=18from before.Inthisproblemwehavealreadyseenthatitis
impossibletorewritethenumbers5and18usingthesamebase,sowemustuselogarithms.Continuingon
hereiswhatweget:
Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Movethe
exponentoutfrontwhichturnsthisintoamultiplicationproblem.
Divideeachsidebylog5.
Useacalculatortofindlog18dividedbylog5.Roundtheanswer
asappropriate,theseanswerswilluse6decimalplaces.
Finishsolvingtheproblembyadding3toeachsideandthen
dividingeachsideby2.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem5
2x 3
=18isx 2.397944.
Hereisanotherexample,solve8
4x+1
=205.
Determineif8and205canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
case8and205cannotbewrittenusingthesamebase,sowemust
uselogarithms.
Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Movethe
exponentoutfrontwhichturnsthisintoamultiplicationproblem.
Divideeachsidebylog8.
Useacalculatortofindlog205dividedbylog8. Roundthe
answerasappropriate,theseanswerswilluse6decimalplaces.
Finishsolvingtheproblemby subtracting1from eachsideand
thendividingeachsideby 4.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem 8
4x + 1
=205isx 0.389957.
Nowthatwehavelookedatacoupleofexamplesofsolvingexponentialequationswithdifferentbases,
letslistthestepsforsolvingexponentialequationsthathavedifferentbases.
Thedirectionssay,Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.Youwillgetthe
sameanswernomatterwhichlogarithmyouuse,itisamatterofpersonalpreference.Theonlytime
thatyoushouldspecificallyuseanaturallogarithmiswhendealingwiththebasee.
2x 3
log(5 ) log(18)
-
=
(2x 3)(log5) log18 - =
log18
2x 3
log5
- =
2x 3 1.795889 -
x 2.397944
4x 1
8 205
+
=
4x 1
log(8 ) log(205)
+
=
(4x 1)(log8) log 205 + =
log 205
4x 1
log8
+ =
4x 1 2.559827 +
x 0.389957
3x 7
5 311
+
=
3x 7
log(5 ) log(311)
+
=
(3x 7)(log 5) log311 + =
log311
3x 7
log5
+ =
3x 7 3.566334 +
x 1.144555 -
ExamplesNowletsusethestepsshownabovetoworkthroughsomeexamples.Theseexampleswillbea
mixtureofexponentialequationswiththesamebaseandexponentialequationswith differentbases.
Example1:Solve5
3x+7
=311
Determineif5and311canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
case5and311cannotbewrittenusingthesamebase,sowemust
uselogarithms.
Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Movethe
exponentoutfrontwhichturnsthisintoamultiplicationproblem.
Divideeachsidebylog5.
Useacalculatortofindlog311dividedbylog5. Roundthe
answerasappropriate,theseanswerswilluse6decimalplaces.
Finishsolvingtheproblemby subtracting7from eachsideand
thendividingeachsideby 3.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem5
3x+7
=311isx 1.144555.
SolvingExponentialEquationswithDifferentBases
Step1: Determineifthenumberscanbewrittenusingthesamebase.Ifso,stopanduseStepsfor
SolvinganExponentialEquationwiththeSameBase.Ifnot,gotoStep2.
Step2: Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.
Step3: Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Specifically,useProperty5which
says
Step4: Divideeachsidebythelogarithm.
Step5: Useacalculatortofindthedecimalapproximationofthelogarithms.
Step6: Finishsolvingtheproblembyisolatingthevariable.
y
a a
log x ylog x. =
2x 1 3x 4
25 125
- +
=
( ) ( )
2x 1 3x 4
2 3
5 5
- +
=
4x 2 9x 12
5 5
- +
=
14
x .
5
= -
4x 9
e 56
-
=
4x 9
ln(e ) ln(56)
-
=
(4x 9)(ln e) ln 56 - =
(4x 9)(1) ln 56 - =
4x 9 4.025352 -
x 3.256338
Example2:Solve25
2x 1
=125
3x+4
Determineif25and125canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
caseboth25and125canbewrittenusingthebase5.
Rewritetheproblemusingthesamebase.
Usethepropertiesofexponentstosimplifytheexponents,whena
powerisraisedtoapower,wemultiplythepowers.
4x 2=9x+12 Sincethebasesarethesame,wecandropthebasesandsetthe
exponentsequaltoeachother.
Finishsolvingby adding2toeach side,subtracting9xfromeach
side,andthendividingeachsideby 5.
Therefore, thesolutiontotheproblem25
2x 1
=125
3x+4
is
Example3:Solvee
4x 9
=56
Determineif eand56canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
caseeand56cannotbewrittenusingthesamebase,sowemust
uselogarithms.
Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.In
thiscase,weshouldusethenaturallogarithmbecausethebaseise.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Movethe
exponentoutfrontwhichturnsthisintoamultiplicationproblem.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstofindlne.Property2statesthat
lne=1.
Useacalculatortofindln 56.Roundtheanswerasappropriate,
theseanswerswilluse6decimalplaces.
Finishsolvingtheproblemby adding9toeachsideandthen
dividingeachsideby 4.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheprobleme
4x 9
=56isx 3.256338.
14
x
5
= -
Example4:Solve7
5x+3
=512
Determineif7and312canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
case7and312cannotbewrittenusingthesamebase,sowemust
uselogarithms.
Takethecommonlogarithmornaturallogarithmofeachside.
Usethepropertiesoflogarithmstorewritetheproblem.Movethe
exponentoutfrontwhichturnsthisintoamultiplicationproblem.
Divideeachsidebylog7.
Useacalculatortofindlog312dividedbylog7. Roundthe
answerasappropriate,theseanswerswilluse6decimalplaces.
Finishsolvingtheproblemby subtracting3from eachsideand
thendividingeachsideby 5.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem7
5x+3
=312isx 0.009736.
Example5:Solve
x 2
2x 3
1
8
16
-
-

=


Determineif 8and1/16canbewrittenusingthesamebase.Inthis
caseboth 8and1/16canbewrittenusingthebase2.
Rewritetheproblemusingthesamebase.Notethat1/16=1/2
4
=
2
4
.
Usethepropertiesofexponentstosimplifytheexponents,whena
powerisraisedtoapower,wemultiplythepowers.
Sincethebasesarethesame,wecandropthebasesandsetthe
exponentsequaltoeachother.
Finishsolvingby adding9toeachside,adding4xtoeachside,
andthendividingeachsideby 10.
Therefore,thesolutiontotheproblem
x 2
2x 3
1
8
16
-
-

=


is
5x 3
7 312
+
=
5x 3
log(7 ) log(312)
+
=
(5x 3)(log 7) log312 + =
log312
5x 3
log7
+ =
5x 3 2.951320 +
x 0.009736 -
x 2
2x 3
1
8
16
-
-

=


( ) ( )
2x 3 x 2
3 4
2 2
- -
-
=
6x 9 4x 8
2 2
- - +
=
6x 9 4x 8 - = - +
17
x
10
=
17
x .
10
=
AdditionExamples
Ifyouwouldliketoseemoreexamplesof solvingexponential equations,justclickonthelinkbelow.
Additional Examples
PracticeProblems
Nowitisyourturntotryafewpracticeproblemsonyourown.Workoneachoftheproblemsbelowand
thenclickonthelinkattheendtocheckyouranswers.
Problem1:Solve:
3x 5 4x 3
4 8
+ -
=
Problem2:Solve:
8 3x
e 268
-
=
Problem 3:Solve:
6x 7
5 761
+
=
Problem 4:Solve:
3x 1
2x 3
1
9
27
+
+

=


Problem5:Solve:
2x 5
3 87
-
=
Problem6:Solve:
3x 5
4e 195
-
=
SolutionstoPracticeProblems