LOGARITHMIC AND EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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1. Let f(x) = 3 ln x and g(x) = ln 5x3.

(b) The graph of g is a transformation of the graph of f. Give a full geometric

x
2. Let f(x) = log3 2 + log3 16 – log3 4, for x > 0.

(a) Show that f(x) = log3 2x.

(b) Find the value of f(0.5) and of f(4.5).

ln ax
The function f can also be written in the form f(x) = ln b .

(c) (i) Write down the value of a and of b.

(ii) Hence on graph paper, sketch the graph of f, for –5 ≤ x ≤ 5, –5 ≤ y ≤ 5,

(iii) Write down the equation of the asymptote.

(d) Write down the value of f–1(0).

The point A lies on the graph of f. At A, x = 4.5.

(e) On your diagram, sketch the graph of f–1, noting clearly the image of point A.

3. Let f(x) = Aekx + 3. Part of the graph of f is shown below.

The y-intercept is at (0, 13).

(a) Show that A =10.

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(b) Given that f(15) = 3.49 (correct to 3 significant figures), find the value of k.

(c) (i) Using your value of k, find f′(x).

(ii) Hence, explain why f is a decreasing function.

(iii) Write down the equation of the horizontal asymptote of the graph f.

Let g(x) = –x2 + 12x – 24.

(d) Find the area enclosed by the graphs of f and g.

4. The number of bacteria, n, in a dish, after t minutes is given by n = 800e013t.

(a) Find the value of n when t = 0.

(b) Find the rate at which n is increasing when t = 15.

(c) After k minutes, the rate of increase in n is greater than 10 000 bacteria per
minute. Find the least value of k, where k  .

5. A city is concerned about pollution, and decides to look at the number of people using
taxis. At the end of the year 2000, there were 280 taxis in the city. After n years the
number of taxis, T, in the city is given by

T = 280  1.12n.

(a) (i) Find the number of taxis in the city at the end of 2005.

(ii) Find the year in which the number of taxis is double the number of taxis
there were at the end of 2000.

(b) At the end of 2000 there were 25 600 people in the city who used taxis. After n
years the number of people, P, in the city who used taxis is given by

2 560 000
– 0.1n
.
P = 10  90e

(i) Find the value of P at the end of 2005, giving your answer to the nearest
whole number.

(ii) After seven complete years, will the value of P be double its value at the
end of 2000? Justify your answer.

(c) Let R be the ratio of the number of people using taxis in the city to the number of
taxis. The city will reduce the number of taxis if R  70.

(i) Find the value of R at the end of 2000.

(ii) After how many complete years will the city first reduce the number of
taxis?

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6. Solve the following equations.

(a) logx 49 = 2

(b) log2 8 = x

1

(c) log25 x = 2

(d) log2 x + log2(x – 7) = 3

7. The functions f (x) and g (x) are defined by f (x) = ex and g (x) = ln (1+ 2x).

(a) Write down f −1(x).

(b) (i) Find ( f ◦ g) (x).

(ii) Find ( f ◦ g)−1 (x).

8. The population of a city at the end of 1972 was 250 000. The population increases by
1.3 per year.

(a) Write down the population at the end of 1973.

(b) Find the population at the end of 2002.

9. Let f (x) = ln (x + 2), x  −2 and g (x) = e(x−4), x  0.

(a) Write down the x-intercept of the graph of f.

(b) (i) Write down f (−1.999).

(ii) Find the range of f.

(c) Find the coordinates of the point of intersection of the graphs of f and g.

10. Let f (x) = loga x, x  0.

(a) Write down the value of

(i) f (a);

(ii) f (1);

(iii) f (a4 ).

(b) The diagram below shows part of the graph of f.

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y

1
f

–2 –1 0 1 2 x

–1

–2

On the same diagram, sketch the graph of f−1.

11. The area A km2 affected by a forest fire at time t hours is given by A = A0 ekt.
When t = 5, the area affected is 1 km2 and the rate of change of the area is 0.2 km2 h−1.

(a) Show that k = 0.2.

1
(b) Given that A0 = e , find the value of t when 100 km2 are affected.

12. Solve the following equations.

(a) ln (x + 2) = 3.

(b) 102x = 500.

13. Find the exact value of x in each of the following equations.

(a) 5x+1 = 625

(b) loga (3x + 5) = 2

14. A machine was purchased for $10000. Its value V after t years is given by V
=100000e−0.3t. The machine must be replaced at the end of the year in which its value
drops below $1500. Determine in how many years the machine will need to be replaced.

15. Let f (x) = 6 sin x , and g (x) = 6e–x – 3 , for 0  x  2. The graph of f is shown on the
diagram below. There is a maximum value at B (0.5, b).

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y
B

x
0 1 2

(a) Write down the value of b.

(b) On the same diagram, sketch the graph of g.

(c) Solve f (x) = g (x) , 0.5  x  1.5.

16. There were 1420 doctors working in a city on 1 January 1994. After n years the number
of doctors, D, working in the city is given by

D = 1420 + 100n.

(a) (i) How many doctors were there working in the city at the start of 2004?

(ii) In what year were there first more than 2000 doctors working in the city?

At the beginning of 1994 the city had a population of 1.2 million. After n years, the
population, P, of the city is given by

P = 1 200 000 (1.025)n.

(b) (i) Find the population P at the beginning of 2004.

(ii) Calculate the percentage growth in population between 1 January 1994 and
1 January 2004.

(iii) In what year will the population first become greater than 2 million?

(c) (i) What was the average number of people per doctor at the beginning of
1994?

(ii) After how many complete years will the number of people per doctor first
fall below 600?

17. The population p of bacteria at time t is given by p = 100e0.05t.

Calculate

(a) the value of p when t = 0;

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(b) the rate of increase of the population when t = 10.

18. The mass m kg of a radio-active substance at time t hours is given by

m = 4e–0.2t.

(a) Write down the initial mass.

(b) The mass is reduced to 1.5 kg. How long does this take?

19. Consider functions of the form y = e–kx

1 1
(a) Show that
 0
e – kx dx
= k (1 – e–k).

(b) Let k = 0.5

(i) Sketch the graph of y = e–0.5x, for –1  x  3, indicating the coordinates of

(ii) Shade the region enclosed by this graph, the x-axis, y-axis and the line x = 1.

(iii) Find the area of this region.

dy
(c) (i) Find dx in terms of k, where y = e–kx.

The point P(1, 0.8) lies on the graph of the function y = e–kx.

(ii) Find the value of k in this case.

(iii) Find the gradient of the tangent to the curve at P.

20. $1000 is invested at 15% per annum interest, compounded monthly. Calculate the
minimum number of months required for the value of the investment to exceed $3000.

21. Each year for the past five years the population of a certain country has increased at a
steady rate of 2.7% per annum. The present population is 15.2 million.

(a) What was the population one year ago?

(b) What was the population five years ago?

22. Michele invested 1500 francs at an annual rate of interest of 5.25 percent,
compounded annually.

(a) Find the value of Michele’s investment after 3 years. Give your answer to the

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nearest franc.

(b) How many complete years will it take for Michele’s initial investment to double
in value?

(c) What should the interest rate be if Michele’s initial investment were to double in
value in 10 years?

23. A group of ten leopards is introduced into a game park. After t years the number of
leopards, N, is modelled by N = 10 e0.4t.

(a) How many leopards are there after 2 years?

(b) How long will it take for the number of leopards to reach 100? Give your answers
to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

Give your answers to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

24. The diagram shows three graphs.

B
y
A

A is part of the graph of y = x.

B is part of the graph of y = 2x.

C is the reflection of graph B in line A.

Write down

(a) the equation of C in the form y =f (x);

(b) the coordinates of the point where C cuts the x-axis.

25. Initially a tank contains 10 000 litres of liquid. At the time t = 0 minutes a tap is opened,
and liquid then flows out of the tank. The volume of liquid, V litres, which remains in
the tank after t minutes is given by

V = 10 000 (0.933t).

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(a) Find the value of V after 5 minutes.

(b) Find how long, to the nearest second, it takes for half of the initial amount of
liquid to flow out of the tank.

(c) The tank is regarded as effectively empty when 95% of the liquid has flowed out.
Show that it takes almost three-quarters of an hour for this to happen.

(d) (i) Find the value of 10 000 – V when t = 0.001 minutes.

(ii) Hence or otherwise, estimate the initial flow rate of the liquid.
Give your answer in litres per minute, correct to two significant figures.

26. A population of bacteria is growing at the rate of 2.3% per minute. How long will it take
for the size of the population to double? Give your answer to the nearest minute.