High School Math : Solving and Graphing Logarithmic Equations

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Solving Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 3^{3x-7}=81^{12-3x}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=11\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{11}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=33\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{22}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=9\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{11}{3}\)

Explanation:

Change 81 to \(\displaystyle 3^4\) so that both sides have the same base. Once you have the same base, apply log to both sides so that you can set the exponential expressions equal to each other (\(\displaystyle 3x-7 = 48-12x\)). Thus, \(\displaystyle x=\frac{11}{3}\).

Example Question #1 : Solving Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 36^{10x+2}=(\frac{1}{6})^{13-x}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=19\)

\(\displaystyle x=17\)

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{17}{19}\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{17}{19}\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{11}{19}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{17}{19}\)

Explanation:

Change the left side to \(\displaystyle 6^2\) and the right side to \(\displaystyle 6^{-1}\) so that both sides have the same base. Apply log to both sides and then set the exponential expressions equal to each other (\(\displaystyle 20x+4=-13+x\)). \(\displaystyle x=-\frac{17}{19}\).

Example Question #1 : Solving And Graphing Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 8^{x-1}=(\frac{1}{16})^{4x-3}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=30\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{11}{19}\)

\(\displaystyle x=13\)

\(\displaystyle x=15\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{15}{19}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{15}{19}\)

Explanation:

Change the left side to \(\displaystyle 2^3\) and the right side to \(\displaystyle 2^{-4}\) so that both sides have the same base. Apply log and then set the exponential expressions equal to each other (\(\displaystyle 3x-3=-16x+12\)). Thus, \(\displaystyle x=\frac{15}{19}\).

Example Question #151 : Mathematical Relationships And Basic Graphs

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 25^{20x+4}=(\frac{1}{125})^{4-3x}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{11}{31}\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{9}{40}\)

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{20}{31}\)

\(\displaystyle x=18\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{20}{31}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{20}{31}\)

Explanation:

Change the left side to \(\displaystyle 5^2\) and the right side to \(\displaystyle 5^{-3}\) so that both sides have the same base. Apply log and then set the exponential expressions equal to each other (\(\displaystyle 40x+8=-12+9x\)). Thus, \(\displaystyle x=-\frac{20}{31}\)

Example Question #1 : Solving Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 27^{4x-1}=(\frac{1}{3})^{3x+8}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=1\)

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{1}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=-1\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{1}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=3\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{1}{3}\)

Explanation:

Change the left side to \(\displaystyle 3^3\) and the right side to \(\displaystyle 3^{-1}\) so that both sides have the same base. Apply log to both sides and then set the exponential expressions equal to each other (\(\displaystyle 12x-3=-3x-8\)). Thus, \(\displaystyle x=-\frac{1}{3}\).

Example Question #151 : Mathematical Relationships And Basic Graphs

Solve for \(\displaystyle x\).

\(\displaystyle 17 + x = \log_{10}10000\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 10^4 - 17\)

\(\displaystyle -13\)

\(\displaystyle 983\)

\(\displaystyle 4\)

\(\displaystyle 10^1^7\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle -13\)

Explanation:

\(\displaystyle log_{10}10000\) can be simplified to \(\displaystyle 4\) since \(\displaystyle 10^4 = 10000\). This gives the equation:

\(\displaystyle 17 + x = 4\)

Subtracting \(\displaystyle 17\) from both sides of the equation gives the value for \(\displaystyle x\).

\(\displaystyle (17 + x) - 17 = (4) - 17 \rightarrow x = -13\)

Example Question #152 : Mathematical Relationships And Basic Graphs

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 5^{3x-9}=25^{^{x+5}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=10\)

\(\displaystyle x=11\)

\(\displaystyle x=5\)

\(\displaystyle x=19\)

\(\displaystyle x=21\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=19\)

Explanation:

First, change 25 to \(\displaystyle 5^2\) so that both sides have the same base. Once they have the same base, you can apply log to both sides so that you can set their exponents equal to each other, which yields \(\displaystyle 3x-9=2x+10\).

\(\displaystyle x=19\)

Example Question #8 : Solving And Graphing Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation. 

\(\displaystyle 7^{3x+4}=49^{x+1}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=-4\)

\(\displaystyle x=-2\)

\(\displaystyle x=-1\)

\(\displaystyle x=4\)

\(\displaystyle x=2\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-2\)

Explanation:

Change 49 to \(\displaystyle 7^2\) so that both sides have the same base so that you can apply log. Then, you can set the exponential expressions equal to each other \(\displaystyle 3x+4=2x+2\).

Thus, \(\displaystyle x=-2\)

Example Question #1 : Solving Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 10^{2x-10}=(\frac{1}{100})^{8x-1}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=1\)

\(\displaystyle x=-1\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{2}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=-\frac{2}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{1}{3}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=\frac{2}{3}\)

Explanation:

Change the right side to \(\displaystyle 10^{-2}\) so that both sides have the same bsae of 10. Apply log and then set the exponential expressions equal to each other

\(\displaystyle 2x-10=-16x+2\)

Example Question #5 : Solving Logarithmic Equations

Solve the equation.

\(\displaystyle 4^{2x-7}=64^{3x}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=-1\)

\(\displaystyle x=8\)

\(\displaystyle x=1\)

\(\displaystyle x=7\)

\(\displaystyle x=10\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-1\)

Explanation:

Change 64 to \(\displaystyle 4^3\) so that both sides have the same base. Apply log to both sides so that you can set the exponential expressions equal to each other

\(\displaystyle 2x-7=9x\).

Thus, \(\displaystyle x=-1\).

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