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TUTORIALS ON INDICES, SURDS AND LOGARITHMS

EXERCISE I: INDICES

8
1. Solve for x in the equation 6x +2 ´ 21– x = .
3
2. Solve for x in the following equations:

( 2)
x
a. 32x +1 + 26 (3x –1 ) – 43 = 0 b. 4x – 3 (2x +1 ) + 8 = 0 c. 2x – 3 –4=0

8x – 2x
3. Solve for x , in the equation = 17 .
4x – 2x
4. Solve for x in the following equations:
a. 2x +1 + 2x – 3 = 17 b. 2 2x – 5 – 3 (2x – 3 ) + 1 = 0 c. 16x – 5 (2 2x –1 ) + 1 = 0

ìï x
ïï3 ´ 9y = 1
ï
5. Solve the system of simultaneous equations: ïí x
3
.
ïï 8
ïï y +1 = 8
ïî 2
2 1
6. Solve the inequality 3x – 3x
> .
9
xy
7. If a x = b y = (ab ) with a ,b > 1 and x , y ¹ 0 , show that x + y = 1 .
x +1
æ 1ö æ 1ö
7

8. Solve for x in th equation çç1 + ÷÷÷ = çç1 + ÷÷÷ .

çè x ÷ø çè 7 ÷ø
9. Solve for the two integers a and b that satisfy the equation 2a – 2b = 2016 .
10. Find the value of t given that t 3 2 is 50% larger than t 5 4 , find the value of t .
11. A certain breed of mouse was introduced onto a small island with an initial population of 320 mice, and
scientists estimate that the mouse population is doubling every year.
(a) Find a function N that models the number of mice after t years.
(b) Estimate the mouse population after 8 years.

EXERCISE II: SURDS

(
1. Show that if c > 0 , then a + b c a – b c = a 2 – b 2c .)( )
( ) (2 )
2
2. Simplify the expression 3 –1 3 + 1 leaving your answer in the form a + b c where a ,b and c are

real numbers.
1 3–3
3. Simplify – leaving your answer in the form a + b c where a ,b and c are real numbers.
1+ 3 3 –1

4. Given that x = 2 + 3 and y = 2 – 3 , show that:

x
a. x 2 +y2 = 4 b. xy = 1 c. =2+ 3
y
é 2 ù
2

5. Show that êê
êë 2
( )
1 + 3 úú = 2 + 3 .
úû

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3 5
6. Simplify – leaving your answer in the form a + b c where a ,b and c are real numbers.
( ) ( )
2 2
2 +6 2 –6

p+ q
7. Solve for x , the equation x 12 = x 7 + x 3 leaving your answer in the form .
5

( ) ( ) + (2 – 3 )
–1 x x
8. Show that 2 + 3 = 2 – 3 . Hence or otherwise, solve the equation 2 + 3 =4.

( )
9. The area of a triangle is 3 – 2 cm 2 . If the length of its base is ( )
2 – 1 cm , find its height in the form

(a + b 2 )cm , where a and b are integers.

10. A cuboid has a square base. The length of each side of the base is 2 + 3 cm and the volume of the cuboid ( )
( )
is 15 + 6 3 cm 3 . Find the height of the cuboid in the form p + q 3 cm, where p and q are integers. ( )
1
11. Show that 5+2 6 – =2 2.
5+2 6

12. Solve the equation x 2 + 3 = 2x .

13. Solve the following equations
a. 40 – x 2 = 3x b. 3 – 4x = 2x c. 3x + 6 – 3 x – 4 = 0
14. Solve the inequality x + 1 £ 2x – 4 .
15. Solve the following inequalities
a. x 2 – 3x + 2 > x – 2 b. x 2 + 1 < 3 – 3x

EXERCISE III: LOGARITHMS

1
1. Solve the equation log 4 (x + 4) – 2 log 4 (x +1) = .
2
2. Find the value of p satisfying the equation log 2 (3 + log 3 p ) = 3 .
ì
ï2 log x y = 1..........(1)
3. Solve the following pair of simultaneous equations: ïí
ï
îxy = 64................(2)
ï
1
4. Show clearly that loga 36 + loga 256 – 2 loga 48 = – loga 4 .
2
5. Given that x = 2 p and y = 4q , show clearly that log 2 (x 3y ) = 3p + 2q .

6. Given that loga y = k , express loga (ay ) in terms of k .

2

7. Solve for x , the equation log 4 x 2 = log 4 (x + 2) – 3 .

8. Solve for x , the equation log 3 x = log x .

æa + b ö÷ 1 1
9. If a 2 + b 2 = 23ab , show that log çç ÷ = log a + log b .
èç 5 ÷ø÷ 2 2
x x
(log 2 3) (log 3 2)
10. Find the value of x , in the equation 2 =3 .
1 1

11. Without using a calculator, find the value of ((log 2 9) )log (log 9) ´(
2
2 2
7 )
log 4 7

12. Show that if a ,b > 0 then a log b = b log a . Hence or otherwise, solve the equation 3log x + 3x log 3 = 36 .
x logx 2
13. Solve for x , the logarithmic equation =8.
x2

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14. The resident population of Cameroon in 2014 was 22 million people and was growing at a rate of 0.4% per
t – 2014
year. Assuming that this growth rate continues, the model P (t ) = 22 (1.1) represents the population P
(in millions of people) in year t .
(a) According to this model, when will the population of the Cameroon be 30 million people?
(b) According to this model, when will the population of Cameroon be 42 million people?

15. Given that x is a positive real number such that x ¹ 1 , simplify logx 16 ´ log 64 x .
16. Solve for x , the equation log 16 x – log 8 x = 0 .
17. Express log12 60 in terms of a and b if log 6 30 = a and log 15 24 = b .
18. Given that a and n are positive integers such that a ¹ 1 , show that logan x n = loga x . Hence, show that
1 1
log 27 xy = log 3 x + log 3 y , where y > 0 .
3 3
ì
ï6 log 3 x + 6 log 27 y = 7..........(1)
19. Solve for x and y , the given simultaneous equations: ïí .
ï
î4 log 9 x + 4 log 3 y = 9..........(2)
ï
20. Find the value of m satisfying the equation m log 3 2 = log 9 6 .
21. Express log 25 24 in terms of a and b if log 6 15 = a and log 12 18 = b .
22. Given that log 12 18 = a and log 24 54 = b , show that ab + 5 (a – b ) = 1 .

1 ì
ïlog 9 y + log 9 x = 3
23. Show that logy x = and use it to solve the pair of simultaneous equations: ï
í .
ï
logx y îlog x y + 2 logy x = 3
ï
24. Solve for x , the equation x log 2 3 = x + 1 .

EXERCISE IV: NATURAL LOGARITHMS

1. Solve for x , the equation ln (x + 2) + 2 ln (x + 1) = ln (6x – 3) .

2. Solve for x , the equation (ln x ) – 6 ln x + 5 = 0 .

2

3. Solve for x , the equation ln (x + 2) = 1 + ln (x – 3) .

4. Solve for x , the equation (ln x ) – 7 ln x – 6 = 0 .

3

5. Solve for x , the equation ln 2 x = ln x 2 .

ì
ïx 2 + y 2 = 130..........(1)
6. Solve the following pair of simultaneous equations: ïí
ï
îln x + ln y = 63........(2)
ï
7. Solve for x , the equation log x e 2e = e ln x – e .
log 3
8. Given that 2x = 3y and x + y = 1 , show that x = .
log 6
9. Solve for x , the equation 5x – 2 = 33x +2 leaving your answer correct to 3 decimal places.
xy
10. Given that 5x = 7 y = 1225 , show that =2.
x +y
11. Solve for x , the following equations:
a. (5 )(2 ) = 4
x –2 x
b. 6x +2 = 3x ⋅ 4 2x +1

12. Solve for x the equation 4x + 6x = 9x .

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–0.2t
13. The radioactive decay of a phosphorus isotope is modelled by the equation m = m0 (2) ,t ³ 0 where m is
the mass of phosphorus left, in grams, and t is the time in days since the decay started. The initial mass of
phosphorus is m0 .
a. Find the mass of the phosphorus left, when an initial mass of 20 grams is left to decay for 10 days,
according to this model.
m0
An initial mass, m0 grams, of this type of phosphorus decays to grams in T days.
64
b. Find the value of T .
After N days have elapsed, less than 1% of this type of phosphorus remains from its
initial mass m0 .
c. Find the smallest integer value of N .
14. Solve the inequality ln (x + 2) + ln (x + 4) < ln (x + 8) .

15. Solve the inequality (1 – ln x )(3 + ln x ) ³ 0 .

16. Solve for x , the following inequalities.
a. (x – e ) ln x > 0 b. ln ( 3x + 2) £ ln (x – 1) c. x ln x < 0

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