[MAA 2.

8] EXPONENTS
SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

A. Practice questions
1.
1 1
3 3 = 27 3 2 = 3 3 =
9 27
2 2 3
1 1 2 4 2 8
  =   =   =
 3 9 3 9 3 27
2 2 3
1 2 9 2 27
  =9   =   =
 3  
3 4  
3 8
1
1 3  1
42 =2 42 =8 4 2 =
2
1 1
 1
1
2 =  25  2 5
25 2 =5 25   =
5  4 2

2.
1
3 2  2 3 = 72 3 5  3 3 = 9 3 5  3 3 =
9
54  23 74  72
30  0 3 = 1 = 10 =1
2 2  53 7  77
8 3 2 1 3
3 1  2 3 = 3  2 3 = 1
=
3 8 3 2

3.
1
30 2 15 2 12 2
=4 =4 =2
15 2 30  2 3
1
2

1 3 1
7 0.3  7 0.7 = 7 7 2  7 =
7 2  7 2 = 49 7
2 3  33 4 3  33
7 2  7 1 = 7 =1 =8
63 63

4.
1
a6a2 = a8 a6a = a7 (a 2 ) 6 = a 3
a6
a 
6 2
= a 12 a  = a
2 6 12
a 2
= a4

a2a6 a 2b 6
a 2 a3a = a 6 = a3 = a5
a5 b 2 a 3 b 4
5 10
 3  3
a 5  = a3
 
a 5  = a6
 
a 1  2
= a2
   
a n5 a 8
a x  3 a 1 x = a 4 n 3
= a2 10
= a2
a a

1
5.

A 6 B 3 C 10 4 2 5
 A B C
C 5 A2 B

A 2 B  AB 3
 A B
2
AB

2 A  A(4 B)  ( 2 A) 2
 1  2B  2 A
2A

A 4 B 3  A3 B 4 3 3
 A B
A B

6.
1 e2 x 1 ex
e 
x 2
ex ex e2 e e 2 ex
1
x
F. e 2 x D. e  x C. e x A. e 2 B. e 2 G. e x 2 E. e 2

7. (a)

y  2x y  5x y  ex y  2x y  5x y  ex

(c) (a) (b) (d) (f) (e)

(b)

y – intercept y 1
Horizontal asymptote. y0
Domain x R
Range y0

8. (a) y  1 (b) 0.25 (c) b  4 c  16 (d) y  0 (f) x  R y  0

9. (a) a  4, b  6, c  10
(b) y-intercept: (0,3), horizonta asymptote: y  2

2
10. (a) a  0, b  2, c  6
(b) y-intercept: (0, -1), horizonta asymptote: y  2

11. (a) 2 2 x  21 x  2 x  1  x  3 x  1  x  1 / 3

(b) 2 2 x  81 x  2 2 x  2 33 x  2 x  3  3 x  5 x  3  x  3 / 5

(c) 4 2 x  81 x  2 4 x  2 33 x  4 x  3  3x  7 x  3  x  3 / 7

(d) 8 x  3  16 x  2 3 x  9  2 4 x  3x  9  4 x  x  9

1
(e) x
 4 x 3  2  x  2 2 x  6   x  2 x  6  6  3 x  x  2
2

x
x
(f) 2 x  41 x  2 2  2 2 2 x   2  2 x  x  4  4 x  5x  4  x  4 / 5
2

12. (a) 25 x 1  5 3  5 2 x  2  5 3  2 x  2  3  2 x  1  x  1 / 2
1
(b) 25 x 1   5 2 x  2  5  x  2 x  2   x  3 x  2  x  2 / 3
5x
x
x
(c) 25 x 1  5 x  5 2 x  2  5 2  2 x  2   4 x  4  x  3x  4  x  4 / 3
2
2 2
(d) 25 x  125 x  52 x  53 x  2 x 2  3 x  x(2 x  3)  0

 x  3 / 2 or x  0
2
5 x 2
5 x
(e) 7 x 1  7x  7 0  x 2  5 x  0  x ( x  5)  0

 x  0 or x  5

3
B. Exam style questions (SHORT)

13. (a) (i) b  e 2  2 (ii) b  9.39

(b) f (1)  e  2  4.72 , f 1 (6)  1.386294...  1.39
(c) y-intercept: (0,3), horizontal asymptote: y  2

(d) Domain: x  R , Range: y  2

3
14. 9 2 x  27 (1 x )  34 x  333 x  4 x  3  3 x  7 x  3 
x
7
2x
1
15. 9x–1 =    32x–2 = 3–2x
3
1
2x – 2 = –2x  x =
2
1
2 2 1 1
16. 25 x  5  52 x  5 2  2 x 2   x2 
2 4

1
x
2
2 2
17. 4 x  8 x  2 2 x  23 x  2 x 2  3 x  x(2 x  3)  0

x  3 / 2 or x  0
2 x 1
2
3  1  2
3
18. 5x    5x  5 4 x  2  x 2  3   4 x  2  x 2  4 x  5  0
 25 

x  5 or x  1

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C. Exam style questions (LONG)

19.
(a) y- intercept: (0,5) (b) y- intercept: (0,-1)
h. asymptote: y=3 value of b: 2e+3 h. asymptote: y= -3 value of b: 2e-3
Domain: xR Range: y>3 Domain: xR Range: y> -3

20. (a) xR

(b) y  15

(c) (i) f (5)  49.8 (ii) x  7.50

(d) x  8.14 so x  9
(e) y  5.02 , the horizontal line is y  5

(f) y 5