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8.6 Solving Exponential and

Logarithmic Equations
GOAL 1 SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS
What you should learn
GOAL 1 Solve exponential One way to solve exponential equations is to use the property that if two powers with
equations. the same base are equal, then their exponents must be equal.
GOAL 2 Solve logarithmic
For b > 0 and b ≠ 1, if bx = b y, then x = y.
equations, as applied in
Example 8.

Why you should learn it EXAMPLE 1 Solving by Equating Exponents

 To solve real-life
problems, such as finding Solve 43x = 8x + 1.
the diameter of a telescope’s
objective lens or mirror SOLUTION
in Ex. 69. AL LI 43x = 8x + 1 Write original equation.
FE
RE

2 3x 3 x+1
(2 ) = (2 ) Rewrite each power with base 2.

26x = 23x + 3 Power of a power property

6x = 3x + 3 Equate exponents.

x=1 Solve for x.

 The solution is 1.
✓CHECK Check the solution by substituting it into the original equation.
43 • 1 · 8 1 + 1 Substitute 1 for x.

64 = 64 ✓ Solution checks.
..........
When it is not convenient to write each side of an exponential equation using the
same base, you can solve the equation by taking a logarithm of each side.

EXAMPLE 2 Taking a Logarithm of Each Side

Solve 2x = 7.

SOLUTION
2x = 7 Write original equation.

log2 2x = log2 7 Take log2 of each side.

x = log2 7 logb b x = x
log 7
x =  ≈ 2.807 Use change-of-base formula and a calculator.
log 2

 The solution is about 2.807. Check this in the original equation.

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EXAMPLE 3 Taking a Logarithm of Each Side

Solve 102 x º 3 + 4 = 21.

SOLUTION
102 x º 3 + 4 = 21 Write original equation.

102 x º 3 = 17 Subtract 4 from each side.

2x º 3
log 10 = log 17 Take common log of each side.

2x º 3 = log 17 log 10x = x

2x = 3 + log 17 Add 3 to each side.

1 1
x = (3 + log 17) Multiply each side by }}.
2
2
x ≈ 2.115 Use a calculator.

 The solution is about 2.115.

✓CHECK Check the solution algebraically by
substituting into the original equation. Or,
check it graphically by graphing both sides
of the equation and observing that the two
graphs intersect at x ≈ 2.115.
..........

Newton’s law of cooling states that the temperature T of a cooling substance at time
t (in minutes) can be modeled by the equation
T = (T0 º TR)eºrt + TR
where T0 is the initial temperature of the substance, TR is the room temperature, and
r is a constant that represents the cooling rate of the substance.

L
AL I EXAMPLE 4 Using an Exponential Model
FE
RE

Cooking You are cooking aleecha, an Ethiopian stew. When you take it off the stove, its
temperature is 212°F. The room temperature is 70°F and the cooling rate of the stew is
r = 0.046. How long will it take to cool the stew to a serving temperature of 100°F?

SOLUTION
STUDENT HELP You can use Newton’s law of cooling with T = 100, T0 = 212, TR = 70, and r = 0.046.
NE
ER T
HOMEWORK HELP T = (T0 º TR)eºrt + TR Newton’s law of cooling
INT

Visit our Web site º0.046t

100 = (212 º 70)e + 70 Substitute for T, T0, TR, and r.
www.mcdougallittell.com
for extra examples. º0.046t
30 = 142e Subtract 70 from each side.

0.211 ≈ eº0.046t Divide each side by 142.

º0.046t
ln 0.211 ≈ ln e Take natural log of each side.

º1.556 ≈ º0.046t ln e x = loge e x = x

33.8 ≈ t Divide each side by º0.046.

 You should wait about 34 minutes before serving the stew.

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GOAL 2 SOLVING LOGARITHMIC EQUATIONS

To solve a logarithmic equation, use this property for logarithms with the same base:
For positive numbers b, x, and y where b ≠ 1, logb x = logb y if and only if x = y.

EXAMPLE 5 Solving a Logarithmic Equation

Solve log3 (5x º 1) = log3 (x + 7).

SOLUTION
log3 (5x º 1) = log3 (x + 7) Write original equation.

5x º 1 = x + 7 Use property stated above.

5x = x + 8 Add 1 to each side.

x=2 Solve for x.

 The solution is 2.
✓CHECK Check the solution by substituting it into the original equation.
log3 (5x º 1) = log3 (x + 7) Write original equation.

log3 (5 • 2 º 1) · log3 (2 + 7) Substitute 2 for x.

log3 9 = log3 9 ✓ Solution checks.

..........

When it is not convenient to write both sides of an equation as logarithmic

expressions with the same base, you can exponentiate each side of the equation.
For b > 0 and b ≠ 1, if x = y, then b x = b y.

EXAMPLE 6 Exponentiating Each Side

Solve log5 (3x + 1) = 2.

SOLUTION
log5 (3x + 1) = 2 Write original equation.
log5 (3x + 1) 2
5 =5 Exponentiate each side using base 5.

3x + 1 = 25 blogb x = x

x=8 Solve for x.

 The solution is 8.
✓CHECK Check the solution by substituting it into the original equation.
log5 (3x + 1) = 2 Write original equation.

log5 (3 • 8 + 1) · 2 Substitute 8 for x.

log5 25 · 2 Simplify.

2=2✓ Solution checks.

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Because the domain of a logarithmic function generally does not include all real
numbers, you should be sure to check for extraneous solutions of logarithmic
equations. You can do this algebraically or graphically.

EXAMPLE 7 Checking for Extraneous Solutions

STUDENT HELP Solve log 5x + log (x º 1) = 2. Check for extraneous solutions.

Look Back
For help with the zero
SOLUTION
product property, see log 5x + log (x º 1) = 2 Write original equation.
p. 257.
log [5x(x º 1)] = 2 Product property of logarithms
(5x2 º 5x)
10log = 102 Exponentiate each side using base 10.
2
5x º 5x = 100 10log x = x

x2 º x º 20 = 0 Write in standard form.

(x º 5)(x + 4) = 0 Factor.

x = 5 or x = º4 Zero product property

The solutions appear to be 5 and º4.

However, when you check these in the
original equation or use a graphic
check as shown at the right, you can
see that x = 5 is the only solution.
 The solution is 5.
FOCUS ON
PEOPLE

EXAMPLE 8 Using a Logarithmic Model

SEISMOLOGY The moment magnitude M of an earthquake that releases energy

E (in ergs) can be modeled by this equation:
M = 0.291 ln E + 1.17
On May 22, 1960, a powerful earthquake took place in Chile. It had a moment
magnitude of 9.5. How much energy did this earthquake release?
 Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center

SOLUTION
M = 0.291 ln E + 1.17 Write model for moment magnitude.
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AL I
CHARLES
FE
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RICHTER
9.5 = 0.291 ln E + 1.17 Substitute 9.5 for M.
developed the Richter scale 8.33 = 0.291 ln E Subtract 1.17 from each side.
in 1935 as a mathematical
means of comparing the 28.625 ≈ ln E Divide each side by 0.291.
sizes of earthquakes. For 28.625 ln E
large earthquakes, seismol- e ≈e Exponentiate each side using base e.
ogists use a different meas- 2.702 ª 1012 ≈ E eln x = eloge x = x
ure called moment
magnitude.  The earthquake released about 2.7 trillion ergs of energy.

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GUIDED PRACTICE
Vocabulary Check ✓ 1. Give an example of an exponential equation and a logarithmic equation.
Concept Check ✓ 2. How is solving a logarithmic equation similar to solving an exponential
equation? How is it different?
3. Why do logarithmic equations sometimes have extraneous solutions?

Skill Check ✓ Solve the equation.

4. 3x = 14 5. 5x = 8 6. 92 x = 3x º 6
7. 103x º 4 = 0.1 8. 23x = 4x º 1 9. 103x º 1 + 4 = 32

Solve the equation.

10. log x = 2.4 11. log x = 3 12. log3 (2x º 1) = 3
2
13. 12 ln x = 44 14. log2 (x + 2) = log2 x 15. log 3x + log (x + 2) = 1

ERROR ANALYSIS In Exercises 16 and 17, describe the error.

16. 4x + 1 = 8x 17. log2 5x = 8

log4 4x + 1 = log4 8x elog2 5x = e8
x + 1 = x log4 8 5x = e8
1
x + 1 = 2x x =  e8
5
1 = x

18. EARTHQUAKES An earthquake that took place in Alaska on March 28,

1964, had a moment magnitude of 9.2. Use the equation given in Example 8
to determine how much energy this earthquake released.

PRACTICE AND APPLICATIONS

STUDENT HELP CHECKING SOLUTIONS Tell whether the x-value is a solution of the equation.
Extra Practice 19. ln x = 27, x = e27 20. 5 º log4 2x = 3, x = 8
to help you master
1 1
skills is on p. 951. 21. ln 5x = 4, x = e5 22. log5 x = 17, x = 2e17
4 2
23. 5e x = 15, x = ln 3 24. e x + 2 = 18, x = log2 16

SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS Solve the equation.

STUDENT HELP
25. 10x º 3 = 1004x º 5 26. 25x º 1 = 1254x 27. 3x º 7 = 272 x

HOMEWORK HELP 28. 36x º 9 = 62 x 29. 85x = 163x + 4 30. eºx = 6

Examples 1–3: 31. 2x = 15 32. 1.2eº5x + 2.6 = 3 33. 4x º 5 = 3
Exs. 23–42
Example 4: Exs. 62–68 34. º5eºx + 9 = 6 35. 102 x + 3 = 8 36. 0.25x º 0.5 = 2
Examples 5–7:
1 2 1
Exs. 19–22, 43–60 37. (4)2 x + 1 = 5 38. e4x +  = 4 39. 10º12 x + 6 = 100
4 3 3
Example 8: Exs. 69, 70
40. 4 º 2ex = º23 41. 30.1x º 4 = 5 42. º16 + 0.2(10)x = 35

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SOLVING LOGARITHMIC EQUATIONS Solve the equation. Check for

extraneous solutions.
43. ln (4x + 1) = ln (2x + 5) 44. log2 x = º1
45. 4 log3 x = 28 46. 16 ln x = 30
1
47.  log6 16x = 3 48. 1 º 2 ln x = º4
2
49. 2 ln (ºx) + 7 = 14 50. log5 (2x + 15) = log5 3x
51. ln x + ln (x º 2) = 1 52. ln x + ln (x + 3) = 1
53. log8 (11 º 6x) = log8 (1 º x) 54. 15 + 2 log2 x = 31
55. º5 + 2 ln 3x = 5 56. log (5 º 3x) = log (4x º 9)
57. 6.5 log5 3x = 20 58. ln (x + 5) = ln (x º 1) º ln (x + 1)
59. ln (5.6 º x) = ln (18.4 º 2.6x) 60. 10 ln 100x º 3 = 117
61. Writing Solve the equation 43x = 8x + 1 in Example 1 by taking the common
logarithm of each side of the equation. Do you prefer this method to the method
shown in Example 1? Why or why not?
62. COOKING You are cooking chili. When you take it off the stove, it has a
temperature of 205°F. The room temperature is 68°F and the cooling rate of the
chili is r = 0.03. How long will it take to cool to a serving temperature of 95°F?
63. FINANCE You deposit $2000 in an account that pays 2% annual interest
compounded quarterly. How long will it take for the balance to reach $2400?
64. RADIOACTIVE DECAY You have 20 grams of phosphorus-32 that decays
5% per day. How long will it take for half of the original amount to decay?
65. DOUBLING TIME You deposit $500 in an account that pays 2.5% annual
interest compounded continuously. How long will it take for the balance to
double?
66. HISTORY CONNECTION The first permanent English colony in America was
established in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. From 1620 through 1780, the
population P of colonial America can be modeled by the equation
P = 8863(1.04)t
where t is the number of years since 1620. When was the population of colonial
America about 345,000?
67. OCEANOGRAPHY Oceanographers rctic
Antaergence
use the density d (in grams per cubic conv Antarctic
surface
centimeter) of seawater to obtain informa-
tion about the circulation of water masses
Subantarc
and the rates at which waters of different d 1.0234 tic 3
0 g/cm
densities mix. For water with a salinity of Antarc
tic interme
30%, the density is related to the water d  1.0238 diate
4 g/cm 3
temperature T (in degrees Celsius) by this North Atlant
ic
equation: deep
d  1.0239
9 g/cm 3
d = 1.0245 º e0.1266T º 7.828 Antarctic b
d  1.0241 ottom 3
Use the equation to find the temperature 0 g/cm
of each layer of water whose density is
given in the diagram.

506 Chapter 8 Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

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FOCUS ON 68. MUON DECAY A muon is an elementary particle that is similar to an

APPLICATIONS
electron, but much heavier. Muons are unstable—they very quickly decay to
form electrons and other particles. In an experiment conducted in 1943, the
number m of muon decays (of an original 5000 muons) was related to the time t
(in microseconds) by this model:
m = e6.331 º 0.403t
After how many microseconds were 204 decays recorded?
69. ASTRONOMY The relationship between a telescope’s limiting magnitude
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APPARENT (the apparent magnitude of the dimmest star that can be seen with the telescope)
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MAGNITUDE of a and the diameter of the telescope’s objective lens or mirror can be modeled by
star is a number indicating
the brightness of the star as M = 5 log D + 2
seen from Earth. The greater
the apparent magnitude, the where M is the limiting magnitude and D is the diameter (in millimeters) of the
fainter the star.
NE
lens or mirror. If a telescope can reveal stars with a magnitude of 12, what is the
ER T
diameter of its objective lens or mirror?  Source: Practical Astronomy
INT

APPLICATION LINK
www.mcdougallittell.com
70. ALTIMETER An altimeter is an instrument that finds the height above sea
level by measuring the air pressure. The height and the air pressure are related
by the model
P
h = º8005 ln 
101,300
where h is the height (in meters) above sea level and P is the air pressure (in
pascals). What is the air pressure when the height is 4000 meters above sea level?
Test 71. MULTI-STEP PROBLEM A simple
Preparation technique that biologists use to estimate the
age of an African elephant is to measure the
36 cm
length of the elephant’s footprint and then
calculate its age using the equation
l = 45 º 25.7eº0.09a
where l is the length of the footprint (in
32 cm
centimeters) and a is the age (in years).
 Source: Journal of Wildlife Management

a. Use the equation to find the ages of the

elephants whose footprints are shown.
28 cm
b. Solve the equation for a, and use this
equation to find the ages of the elephants
whose footprints are shown.
c. Writing Compare the methods you 24 cm
used in parts (a) and (b). Which method
do you prefer? Explain.

★ Challenge SOLVING EQUATIONS Solve the equation.

72. 2x + 3 = 53x º 1 73. 105x + 2 = 54 º x
74. log3 (x º 6) = log9 2x 75. log4 x = log8 4x
EXTRA CHALLENGE
76. Writing In Exercises 72–75 you solved exponential and logarithmic equations
www.mcdougallittell.com with different bases. Describe general methods for solving such equations.

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MIXED REVIEW
MAKING SCATTER PLOTS Draw a scatter plot of the data. Then approximate
an equation of the best-fitting line. (Review 2.5 for 8.7)

77. x º2 º1 º0.5 0 0.5 1 2 3 3.5 4

y 1.25 1.5 1.5 2 1.75 2 2.5 2.5 2.75 3.25

78. x º4 º3 º2.5 º2 º1.5 º1 0 1 1.5 2

y 1.5 1.75 1.75 2.25 2 2.25 2.75 2.75 3 3.5

THE SUBSTITUTION METHOD Solve the linear system using the substitution
method. (Review 3.2 for 8.7)
79. 2x º y = 3 80. 2x + y = 4 81. x + 4y = º24
3x º 2y = 2 x+y=3 x º 4y = 24
82. x º 3y = º3 83. 2x + y = º1 84. ºx + 6y = º32
2x + y = 8 º4x º 2y = º5 7x º 2y = 24
FACTORING Factor the polynomial by grouping. (Review 6.4)
85. 3x3 º 6x2 + 4x º 8 86. 2x3 º 5x2 + 16x º 40
87. 7x3 + 4x2 + 35x + 20 88. 4x3 º 3x2 + 8x º 6

QUIZ 2 Self-Test for Lessons 8.4–8.6

Evaluate the expression without using a calculator. (Lesson 8.4)

1. log2 8 2. log5 625 3. log8 512
4. Find the inverse of the function y = ln (x + 3). (Lesson 8.4)

Graph the function. State the domain and range. (Lesson 8.4)
5. y = 1 + log4 x 6. y = log4 (x + 3) 7. y = 2 + log6 (x º 2)

Use a property of logarithms to evaluate the expression. (Lesson 8.5)

1
8. log3 (3 • 27) 9. log2  10. ln e2
2
11. Expand the expression log4 x1/2y4. (Lesson 8.5)

12. Condense the expression 2 log6 14 + 3 log6 x º log6 7. (Lesson 8.5)

13. Use the change-of-base formula to evaluate the expression log4 22. (Lesson 8.5)

Solve the equation. (Lesson 8.6)

14. 3e x º 1 = 14 15. 3 log2 x = 28 16. ln (2x + 7) = ln (x º 4)
17. EARTHQUAKES An earthquake that took place in Indonesia on February 1,
1938, had a moment magnitude of 8.5. Use the model M = 0.291 ln E + 1.17,
where M is the moment magnitude and E is the energy (in ergs) of an earthquake,
to determine how much energy the Indonesian earthquake released. (Lesson 8.6)

508 Chapter 8 Exponential and Logarithmic Functions