Chapter 4

Exponential Functions
 4.1 Properties of Exponents
• Know the meaning of exponent, zero
exponent and negative exponent.
• Know the properties of exponents.
• Simplify expressions involving exponents
• Know the meaning of exponential function.
• Use scientific notation.
 Exponent
• For any counting number n,
b  b b
n
 b 
 b
n fa cot ors of b

• We refer to b n as the power, the nth power

of b, or b raised to the nth power.
• We call b the base and n the exponent.
 Examples
4  4  4  4  4  4  1024
5

 3   3   3   3   3  81
4

 2   2   2    2    2    2   32
5

When taking a power of a negative number,

if the exponent is even the answer will be positive
if the exponent is odd the answer will be negative
 Properties of Exponents
m n Product property of exponents
b b b
m n

bm mn
n
 b , b  0 and m  n Quotient property of exponents
b
bc   b n c n
n
Raising a product to a power
n
b
n
b
   n , c0 Raising a quotient to a power
c c
b 
m n
b mn Raising a power to a power
 Meaning of the Properties
Product property of exponents Raising a quotient to a power
n
b b b
2 3 5 b bn
   n , c0
b b   bbbbb
2 3 c c
n factors
  
b b  bbbbb
2 3 n
 b   b  b  b   b  bbb b b
n
           n
b 2b 3  b 5  c  ccc 
c  ccc
   c c
n factors n factors

b mb n  b m  n
b mb n  bbb b bbb b   bbb  b  b m n
     
m factors n factors m  n factors
 Simplifying Expressions with
Exponents
• An expression is simplified if:
– It included no parenthesis
– All similar bases are combined
3 5 x x
x x 66
– All numerical expressions are calculated
75 80
– All numerical fractions are simplified
– All exponents are positive
 Order of Operations
• Parenthesis
• Exponents
• Multiplication
• Division
• Addition
• Subtraction
 Warning
• Note: When using a calculator to equate
powers of negative numbers always put
the negative number in parenthesis.
4
 
[2  16]  [ 2  16]..... 2  16
4 4

• Note: Always be careful with parenthesis

5 x  5 x 
2 2
 Examples

4 x y 6 x y 
3 5 2 4
6u v 
6 4 3

4  6x  x y  y 
3 2 5 4 6 u  v 
3 6 3 4 3

3 63 43
24 x y 5 9 6u v
18 12
216u v
 Examples (Cont.)
3 p q 
3
5g h 7 9  27 p q 9 8 5 3 3
 
4 5 7 
3 5
30 g h  36 p q r  4r  7 3

7 3 9 5 3
g h  3p q
94 85
 3
3 p q53 33
 
6 7 3 73
 4r  4 r
4 4
g h 3 15 9
9p q
 3p q
5 3

6  7
 64r 21
 4r 
 Zero Exponent
• For b ≠ 0,
b 1
0

• Examples,
5 1
0

 24  1
0

xy  1, xy  0
0
 Negative Exponent
• If b ≠ 0 and n is a counting number, then
n 1
b  n
b
n
• To find b , take its reciprocal and switch
the sign of the exponent
• Examples,
2 1 1
7  2 
7 49
4 1
x  4
x
 Negative Exponent (Denominator)
• If b ≠ 0 and n is a counting number, then
1
 b n

1 b n
• To find  n , take its reciprocal and switch
b
the sign of the exponent
• Examples,
1
2
 9  81
2

9
1
4
x 4

x
Simplifying Negative Exponents
3810 805
3 3810805 x 5 x 7 7 5
  x  x 2

5 1 x 7 x 5
3  5  243
3 x 5 5   7  5 7
 x  x  x 2

x 7

40 x 12 y 4 8 x 7 y 4 y 8 8 x 7 12 y 48 8 x 5 y12 8 y12

 7 8
 12
   5
25 x y 5x 5 5 5x
40 x 12 y 4 8 x 12( 7 ) y 4( 8) 8 x 5 y12 8 y12
 7 8
   5
25 x y 5 5 5x
 Exponential Functions
f ( x )  6( 4) x
• An exponential f ( x)  5(2) x
function is a function find f (3) find f (4)
whose equation can  6( 4) 3 f (4)  5(2)  4
be put into the form:  6  64 5
f ( x)  ab x  4
 384 2
– Where a ≠ 0, b > 0, 5
(3, 384) 
and b ≠ 1. 16
– The constant b is  5
called the base.   4, 
 16 
Exponential vs Linear Functions
• x is a exponent • x is a base

f ( x)  2 x
f ( x)  2 x
1
 Scientific Notation
• A number written in the form:
N  10 k

where k is an integer and

-10 < N ≤ -1 or
1 ≤ N < 10
• Examples
23
 4.36 10 53
5.8905 10
4.8  10 5
Scientific to Standard Notation
• When k is positive move • When k is negative move
the decimal to the right the decimal to the left

8.563  10 5
5.325  10 3

1
5.325  1000 8.563  5
10
5325
.0 1
move the decimal 3
8 .5   0.00001
places to the right 100000
0.00008
 563
move the decimal 5
places to the left
 Standard to Scientific Notation
• if you move the decimal • if you move the decimal
to the right, then k is to the left, then k is
positive negative

2,938,000,000 0.0002039
2938000000 00002
.039
.
move the decimal 4
move the decimal 9
places to the left
places to the right

4
2.938 10 9 2.039  10
 Group Exploration
• If time,
– p173

1
n
b
4.2 Rational Exponents
 1
Rational Exponents ( b ) n

• For the counting number n, where n ≠ 1,

1
– If n is odd, then b n is the1 number whose nth
power is b, and we call b n the nth root of b
1
– If n is even and b ≥ 0, then b n is the
nonnegative number
1
whose nth power is b,
and we call b n the principal nth root of b.
1
– If n is even and b < 0, then b n is not a real
number.
1 n
• b n may be represented as b .
 Examples
36 12
 6, 6  36
2 ½ power = square root

13
8  2, 2  83 ⅓ power = cube root

(27) 13
 3, (3)  273

 81  (81)
14 14
 3
not a real number since the
(81) 14
4th power of any real
number is non-negative
 Rational Exponents
• For the counting numbers m and n, where
1n
n ≠ 1 and b is any real number for which b
is a real number,
b mn
   b 
 b 1n m m 1n

m n 1
b  mn
. b0
b
mn m n
• A power of the form b or b is said to
have a rational exponent.
 Examples

27 23
 (27 )  (3)  9
13 2 2

(32)  (( 32) )  (2)  16

45 15 4 4

3 4 1 1 1 1
81  34  14 3
 3
81 (81 ) (3) 27
 Properties of Rational Exponents
m n Product property of exponents
b b b
m n

bm mn
n
 b , b  0 and m  n Quotient property of exponents
b
bc   b n c n
n
Raising a product to a power
n
b
n
b
   n , c0 Raising a quotient to a power
c c
b 
m n
b mn Raising a power to a power
 Examples
65

(8 x 6 ) 5 3  85 3 ( x 6 ) 5 3  (81 3 ) 5 x 1 3
 25 x10  32 x10
35 3  4
x   

4 5
x 5  5
x 75

x
3 1 3 2
 
y 3 / 4 y1 / 2  y 4 2
y 4 4
 y5/ 4
3/ 4
 81v 
3/ 4

     81 
3
 11   81v 311 3 / 4
 81v 8 3 / 4
 8 
 v  v 


81 3/ 4

81  1/ 4 3
33 27
 6  6
v 
8 3/ 4
v
83

14
v v
4.3 Graphing Exponential
Functions
Graphing Exponential Functions by
f ( x)  2 hand
x

x y
-3 1/8
-2 1/4
-1 1/2
0 1
1 2
2 4
3 8
Graph of an exponential function is called an
exponential curve
 x
1
g ( x)  4 
2
x y

-1 8

0 4

1 2

2 1

3 1/2
 Base Multiplier Property
• For an exponential function of the form
y  ab x

• If the value of the independent variable

increases by 1, then the value of the
dependent variable is multiplied by b.
x increases by 1, y increases by b
x
1
f ( x)  2 x g ( x)  4 
2
x y x y
-3 1/8 -1 8
-2 1/4
0 4
-1 1/2
0 1 1 2
1 2
2 1
2 4
3 8 3 1/2
 Increasing or Decreasing Property
• Let , where a > 0.
• If b > 1, then the function is increasing
– grows exponentially
• If 0 < b < 1, then the function is decreasing
– decays exponentially
 Intercepts
• y-intercept for the form:

y  ab x

is (0,a)
• y-intercept for the form:
y b x

is (0,1)
 Intercepts
x
1
• Find the x and y intercepts: f ( x)  6 
• y-intercept  3 
0
1
f ( x)  6   6(1)  6
 3
• x-intercept
– as x increases by 1, y is multiplied by 1/3.
– infinitely multiplying by 1/3 will never equal 0
– as x increases, y approaches but never equals 0
– no x-intercept exists, instead the x-axis is called the
horizontal asymptote
 Reflection Property
• The graphs f ( x)  ab x

g ( x)  ab x

• are reflections of each other across the x-

axis
a>0 a>0

a<0
a<0
4.4 Finding Equations of
Exponential Functions
 Finding an Equation Using a Table
• Refer to the Base x F(x)
Multiplier Property 0 2
– as x increases by 1, y
is multiplied by the 1 8
base 2 32
• Find the y-intercept
3 148
– (0, a) = (0, 2)
• Find the constant 4
– multiplying by 4
y  ab x
• Write the equation
y  2( 4) x
 Linear vs Exponential
x F(x) x F(x)
0 243 0 81
1 81 1 70
2 27 2 59
3 9 3 48
4 3 4 37
x
1
f ( x)  243  f ( x)  11x  81
 3
 Solving for b
b 2  36 b  81
4

b 2  36 b1/ 2  361/ 2 4
b 4  4  81 b1/ 4  (81)1/ 4
b  6 or  6 (6) b  No Real Solutions
b  27
3 b 4  81b  3
3
b  3 27 b
3 1/ 3
 27
1/ 3 b 5  32

b3
5
b 5  5  32 b1/ 5  (32)1/ 5
b  2
 When Solving For b
• For b  k ,
n

– n is even, always have a positive and

negative answer
– n is odd, always have one positive answer
• For  k,
b n

– n is even, always no real solutions

– n is odd, always have one negative answer
 Solving for b (cont)
• Remember to always b 4 81
simplify both sides of 2

the equations first.
b 25
4 2 81
b 
b 4
81 25
 81
b 2
25 b 
2

4 4 25
b 81 3
  81 9
b 2
25 5 b 
2

25 5
Finding an Equation of Exponential
Curves Using Two Points
• Given (0,4) and (5,128)
• We know (0,4) is y-intercept (0,a) so a = 4
y  4b x

• Substitute (5, 128) into the equation

128  4b 5
128 4b 5

4 4 y  2(4) x

32  b 5
5
32  5 b 5
b2
 Example
• (2,1) (5,7)
• Plug both points into the standard
equation 1  ab 2

7  ab 5 7 ab 5
 2
• Divide to cancel a term 1 ab
7  b 5 2  b 3
3
7  3 b3
a  1.91
 Example (cont)
• Now we have b
y  a(1.91) x
• We can substitute one of the points and
solve for a …..(2,1)
1  a (1.91)
2

1  3.65a y  .27(1.91) x

1
a  .27
3.65
 4.5 Using Exponential
Functions to Model Data
 Exponential Models
• Exponential model – exponential function,
or its graph, that describes the relationship
between two quantities in an authentic
situation
• Exponentially related – If all the data
points for a situation lie on an exponential
curve
• Approximately exponentially related – If all
the data points lie on or close to an
exponential curve
• Suppose there are 5 million bacteria on a
banana at 8am on Monday. Every
bacterium divides into 2 every hour, on
average.
• Give a function for the situation
f ( x)  5(2) x

• Predict the number of bacteria at 8pm on

Monday. y  5(2)12
y  5(4,096)
y  20,480
• 20,480 million bacteria
 Exponential Functions of Time
y  ab t

• y is the amount
• t amount of time
• a is the initial amount when t =0
• b is constant by which a grows or decays
over time
• A person invests 8,000 in an account and
interest is compounded 5% annually.
• Write an equation to model the data
f ( x)  8000(1.06) x

– Value is 100% of the original deposit plus 6%

after the first year so we use 1.06 as our base
• What is the value after 10 years?
y  8000(1.06)10
y  14,326.78

• The value would be $14,326.78 after 10

years
 Half-life
• If a quantity decays exponentially, the half-
life is the amount of time it takes for that
quantity to be reduced to half

a
a
2

half life
• Californium-251 is a radioactive element with a
half-life of 900 years.
• Give an equation to model the data.
t / 900
1
g (t )  100 
2
• What percent would be left after 600 years?
g (t )  100(.5) 600/ 900
 100(.5) 2 / 3
 100(.6299)
 62.99

• about 63%
 Base of Exponential Model
• b > 1, grows exponentially by a rate of
b–1
• 0 < b < 1, decays exponentially by a rate
of 1 – b

• Notice: b ≠ 1, 1 always equals one

n

therefore the equation would be a

horizontal line at the initial amount (a)
• A person’s heart attack risk can be estimated by using
Framingham point scores. If men’s risk of a heart attack
is 1% at a Fram-score of 0, and 20% at a Fram-score of
15. Given they are exponentially linearly related, find an
equation to model the data.
f ( x )  1b x
• (0,1) and (15, 20)
• a=1 20  b 15

b  1.22
f ( x )  (1.22) x

• Predict the percent risk for a person with a score of 20

f ( x)  (1.22) 20
 53.36
 53%
 Exponential Functions from Tables
• A person’s heart attack Framingham Risk)
risk can be estimated by Score
using Framingham point
(percent
scores. Men’s risk of 0 1
having a heart attack in
the next 10 years is 5 2
shown in the table.
10 6

15 20

17 30
Plot a Scattergram
• Chose two points
– (5,2) (15,20)
20  ab 15

2  ab 5
• Divide the equations b represents the percent
15
20 ab risk grows exponentially
 5
2 ab by 26% for each score
10  b10 point
• Find a b  1.26
a represents the
20  a (1.26)15 approximate initial
percent risk at a score
20  32.03a
of 0 points
a  .62
 f (s)  .62(1.26) x

Graph line over scattergram to check