PSET 4 - Exponential and Logarithmic Equations

1. Express the following in the form 𝑎 + 𝑏 𝑐:

3 2+2 3 7+2
(i) (ii)
3 2−2 3 7−2

2. Rationalise the following, giving your answer in the simplest form possible:
1+ 2 1− 2 14 5 5+3 7 1+ 2 1− 2
(i) + (ii) (iii) (iv) +
5+ 3 5− 3 7+ 2 4 7−3 5 5+ 3 5− 3

3. By using an appropriate substitution or otherwise, solve the following equations. Give your
answer to 4 decimal places where appropriate.
2𝑥+1 𝑥+3 𝑥 2𝑥+2 𝑥
(i) 3 +9= 3 + 3 (ii) 3 + 81 = 246 (3 )
𝑥−3
2 32 𝑥+1 −𝑥
(iii) −𝑥 = 0.5𝑥 (iv) 5 = 8 + 4(5 )
8 4
𝑥+1 2−𝑥 𝑙𝑔 5 𝑙𝑔 7
(v) 3 +3 = 28 (vi) (4𝑥) = (5𝑥)
𝑛−8 2−2𝑛
(vii) 11 − 5 = 54 (viii) 3. 4𝑒 − 9 =− 4

4. Solve the following simultaneous equations:

𝑥 𝑦 𝑥 𝑦 1
(i) 3 × 81 = 27; 2 × 8 = 16

𝑥 𝑦 4𝑥 1 𝑦−1
(ii) 8 ÷ 2 = 64; 3 ×( 9 ) = 81

(iii) 𝑙𝑜𝑔2(𝑥 + 3) = 2 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔2(𝑦); 𝑙𝑜𝑔2(𝑥 + 𝑦) = 3

1
(iv) 𝑥𝑦 = 27; 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑥 𝑦 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑥 = 2 2

2 2 1
(v) 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑎(2𝑥 + 𝑦) = 1; 𝑙𝑜𝑔8(4𝑥 − 𝑦 ) = 1 3

5. Solve the following equations:

(i) 1 + 2𝑙𝑔 (𝑥 + 1) = lg (2𝑥 + 1) + lg(5𝑥 + 8)
(ii) 𝑙𝑔 (20𝑦) − 𝑙𝑔 (𝑦 − 8) = 2
9 𝑥
(iii) 𝑙𝑔(𝑥 − 8) + 𝑙𝑔( 2 ) = 1 + 𝑙𝑔( 4 )
1
(iv) 𝑙𝑜𝑔3𝑁 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔9𝑁 = 4 2
(v) 𝑙𝑜𝑔3𝑥 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔94
5
(vi) 𝑙𝑜𝑔3𝑥 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔243𝑥 + 3 = 0
(vii) 𝑙𝑜𝑔2𝑥 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔4𝑥 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔16𝑥 = 21
1 1 1
(viii) 𝑙𝑜𝑔2𝑥
+ 𝑙𝑜𝑔4𝑥
+ 𝑙𝑜𝑔8𝑥
=3
2
(ix) 𝑙𝑜𝑔3𝑥 − 𝑙𝑜𝑔 1 𝑥 = 6
3
2
(x) 𝑙𝑜𝑔2(𝑙𝑜𝑔2(𝑥 − 8𝑥)) = 1 [Hint: Consider the exponential form for each log]
 4
6. A rectangle has sides of length (2 + 18) meters and width (5 − ) meters.
2

(a) Express, in the form 𝑎 + 𝑏 2, where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are integers:

(i) the value of A, where A square meter is the area of the rectangle.
2
(ii) The value of 𝐷 , where D meters is the length of the rectangle's diagonal.
2
(b) The area of a rectangle is (1 + 6) 𝑚 . The length of one side is ( 3 + 2) 𝑚. Find the length of the
other side in the form 𝑎 − 𝑏, where a and b are integers.
(c) A rectangular block has a square base. The length of each side of the base is ( 3 − 2 ) 𝑚 and the
3
volume of the block is (4 2 − 3 3) 𝑚 . Find the height of the block in the form (𝑎 2 + 𝑏 3) 𝑚,
where a and b are integers.

7. (a) The population of Malibu at the beginning of 1980 was 540,000. The population increased so that
𝑡
after a period of t years, the new population was 𝑃 = 540000(1. 018) . Find:
(i) The population at the beginning of 1993, correct to the next thousand.
(ii) The year in which the population would reach one million.

(b) At the beginning of 1960, the number of animals of a certain species was estimated to be 20000. This
−0.05𝑛
number decreased so that, after n years, the population was 20000𝑒 . Estimate:
(i) The population at the beginning of 1970.
(ii) The year the population would be expected to have first decreased to 2000.

(c) A number, 𝑁0 , of fish of a particular species are introduced to a lake. The number, N, of these fishes
−𝑘𝑡
in the lake, t weeks after their introduction, is given by 𝑁 = 𝑁0𝑒 , where k is a constant. Calculate:
1
(i) the value of k, after 34 weeks, the number of these fish has fallen to 2
of the number introduced.
1
(ii) the number of weeks it takes for the number of these fishes to have fallen to 5
of the number
introduced.

8. The Housing and Development Board launched a bond issue in January 1999 with a yield of 3.75% per
annum. Mr. Kumar invested $10,000 in the bond. The total amount that he will receive, after 𝑛 years, is $
𝑛
10000(1. 0375) .
(a) How much did Mr Kumar receive in January 2005, giving your answer correct to the nearest $10?
(b) Which year will the amount invested by Mr Kumar first exceed $13,500?

9. Assume the vehicle population of Bangladesh, at the beginning of 2000, was estimated to be 560,000.
With the effective implementation of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP),
the vehicle population is now projected to grow at an annual rate of 3%, so that, after 𝑡 years, the new
𝑡
vehicle population will be 560000(1. 03) . Find:
(a) the vehicle population at the beginning of 2005, giving your answer correct to the nearest 500
(b) the year in which the vehicle population is expected to reach three-quarters of a million.
10. Mr Tan bought 5 sets of the first-day covers of the local festivals, issued by the Singapore Post in
October 1998 for $3.20 each. He estimates that the value of the first-day covers will increase at an
𝑛
annual rate of 12% per annum so that its price will be $3. 20(1. 12) after 𝑛 years.
(a) What will be the value of the first-day covers in 2030?
(b) In which year will the price of a first-day cover first exceed $15.30?

Answers
2 4 1 159+29 35
1(i) 5 + 2 6 (ii) 3 3
+ 3
7 2(i) 5 − 6 (ii) 5
(7 2 − 2 7) (iii) 67
(iv)
5− 6
3
3(i) -1 or 2 (ii) 3 or -1 (iii) 1 5 (iv) 0.4306 (v) x= -1 or 2 (vi) 0.0688 (vii) 9.7005
(viii) 0.8072
4) (i) x = -25, y = 7 (ii) x = 5, y = 9 (iii) x = 5.8, y = 2.2 (iv) (3,9) or (9,3) (v) x = 2.5, y = -3
1
5 i) 2 ii) 10 (iii) 18 (iv) 27 (v) 2 (vi) (vii) 4096 (viii) 4 (ix) 9 (x) -1,9
3 3
2
6 (a) (i) (11 2 − 2)𝑚 (ii) 55 − 8 2 (b) 8 − 3 (c) (2 2 + 3) 𝑚
7 (a) i) 681000 (ii) 2015 (b) (i) 12130 (ii) n = 46.06, the year 2006
(c) (i) 0.0204 (ii) 79 weeks 8 (a) $12,470 (b) 8.15 yrs ⇒ 2008.
9 (a) 649000 (b) 2010 10. (a) $120.26 (b) 2012