EXPONENTIAL AND

LOGARITHMIC
FUNCTIONS
 EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION
If x and b are real numbers such that b > 0 and b
≠ 1, then f(x) = bx is an exponential function with
base b.
Examples of exponential functions:
a) y = 3x b) f(x) = 6x c) y = 2x

Example: Evaluate the function y = 4x at the given values

of x.
a) x = 2 b) x = -3 c) x = 0
PROPERTIES OF EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION y = bx

• The domain is the set of all real numbers.

• The range is the set of positive real numbers.
• The y – intercept of the graph is 1.
• The x – axis is an asymptote of the graph.
• The function is one – to – one.
 The graph of the function y = bx
y

Domain :   ,  y  bx
Range : 0 , 
y  int ercept : 0 ,1
x  int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x  axis

1

o x
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = 3x
X -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 1/27 1/9 1/3 1 3 9 27

y  3x

1

o x
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = (1/3)x
X -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 27 9 3 1 1/3 1/9 1/27

x
1
y 
3

1

o x
NATURAL EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION: f(x) = ex
y

Domain :   ,  f x   e x
Range : 0 , 
y  int ercept : 0 ,1
x  int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x  axis

1

o x
 LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION
For all positive real numbers x and b, b ≠ 1, the
inverse of the exponential function y = bx is the
logarithmic function y = logb x.
In symbol, y = logb x if and only if x = by

Examples of logarithmic functions:

a) y = log3 x b) f(x) = log6 x c) y = log2 x
EXAMPLE 1: Express in exponential
form:
a ) log 4 64  3
b) log 2 32  5
c) log 1 16  4
2

d ) log 5 0.04  2
EXAMPLE 2: Express in logarithmic form:
a ) 63  216
5
b) 16  32
4

4

c) 27 3
 81
1
d ) 49  7
2
 PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

• The domain is the set of positive real numbers.

• The range is the set of all real numbers.
• The x – intercept of the graph is 1.
• The y – axis is an asymptote of the graph.
• The function is one – to – one.
 The graph of the function y = logb x
y

o 1 x
Domain : 0, 
Range :  , 
y  log b x
x  int ercept : 0,1
y  int ercept : none
Vertical Asymptote : y  axis
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = log3 x
X 1/27 1/9 1/3 1 3 9 27
y -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y
y  log 3 x

1
o  x
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = log1/3 x
X 27 9 3 1 1/3 1/9 1/27
y -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y

1
o  x

y  log 1 x
3
 PROPERTIES OF EXPONENTS
If a and b are positive real numbers, and m and n
are rational numbers, then the following
properties holds true:
m m
 
a a
a m a n  a mn    m
b b
m
a mn m 1
a a  m
a n a

a 
1
m n
a mn
a n a
n

ab   a
m m
a b m m
a  a 
n n m n
m
To solve exponential equations, the following
property can be used:
bm = bn if and only if m = n and b > 0, b ≠ 1
EXAMPLE 1: Simplify the following:
 
a ) 3x 4 2

32x 
2
10 5
b)
EXAMPLE 2: Solve for x:
a ) 3x  4  32 x 1 b) 4 2x 1  8 x 5
x2
1 x x 4
c)    16 d) 3  27 x

2
 PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS
If M, N, and b (b ≠ 1) are positive real numbers,
and r is any real number, then
log b MN  log b M  log b N
M
log b  log b M  log b N
N
log b N r  r log b N
log b b  1
log b 1  0
log b b x  x
b log b x
x
Since logarithmic function is continuous and one-
to-one, every positive real number has a unique
logarithm to the base b. Therefore,
logbN = logbM if and only if N=M

EXAMPLE 1: Express the ff. in expanded form:

4 3
a ) log3 xyz d) log 2 x y
x2
b) log 6 3x 
2
e) log 5
y5p3
mnp
c) log 4 2
t
EXAMPLE 2: Express as a single logarithm:
a) log 2 x  2   log 2 x  log 2 3
b) 2 log a m  3 log a n
2
c) log 5 2  3 log 5 m  2 log 5 n   log 5 p
3
 NATURAL LOGARITHM
Natural logarithms are to the base e, while
common logarithms are to the
base 10. The symbol ln x is
used
ln x for
lognatural
e x
logarithms.
ln e  log e e  1

EXAMPLE: Solve for x:

a) lne  ln x  3  ln 2
ln x
 CHANGE-OF-BASE FORMULA
log a x ln x
log b x  or log b x 
log a b ln b

EXAMPLE: Use common logarithms and natural

logarithms to find each logarithm:
a) log 5 65
b) log 0.8 70
c) log 2 0.1
 Solving Exponential Equations
Guidelines:
1. Isolate the exponential expression on one side of
the equation.
2. Take the logarithm of each side, then use the law of
logarithm to bring down the
exponent.
3. Solve for the variable.
EXAMPLE: Solve for x:
a ) 3x  2  7
b) 8e 2 x  20
c) e 3 2 x  4
d) e 2 x  e x  6  0
 Solving Logarithmic Equations
Guidelines:
1. Isolate the logarithmic term on one side of the
equation; you may first need to
combine the logarithmic terms.
2. Write the equation in exponential form.
3. Solve for the variable.

EXAMPLE 1: Solve the following:

8 4 x
a ) log x 3 c) log 2 
27 5 25 4
5 9
b) log 4 x  d ) log 3  2x  2
2 8 64
EXAMPLE: Solve for x:
a) 4  3 log 2x  16
b) log 2 25  x   3
c) ln x  8
 
d) log 5 x 2  25  log 5 x  5  2
e) log 2 x  6   log 2 x  2   log 2 x
f ) log 7 x  5  log 7 x  1  1
Application: (Exponential and Logarithmic Equations)
1.The growth rate for a particular bacterial culture can be
calculated using the formula B = 900(2)t/50, where B is the
number of bacteria and t is the elapsed time in hours. How
many bacteria will be present after 5 hours?
2.How many hours will it take for there to be 18,000
bacteria present in the culture in example (1)?
3.A fossil that originally contained 100 mg of carbon-14 now
contains 75 mg of the isotope. Determine the approximate
age of the fossil, to the nearest 100 years, if the half-life of
carbon-14 tis 5,570 years.

A  Ao 2 k
where : A  present amt. of isotope
A o  orig. amt. of isotope
t  time it takes to reduce orig. amt. of isotope present
k  Half  life of the isotope
4. In a town of 15,000 people, the spread of a rumor that
the local transit company would go on strike was such
that t hours after the rumor started, f(t) persons heard
the rumor, where experience over time has shown that
15,000
f t  
1  7499e 0.8 t
a) How many people started the rumor?
b) How many people heard the rumor after 5 hours?
5. A sum of $5,000 is invested at an interest rate of 5% per
year. Find the time required for the money to double if
the interest is compounded (a) semi-annually (b)
continuously.
A  P1  r   simple int erest for 1 year
nt
 r
At   P1    int erest compounded n times per year
 n
At   Pe r t  int erest compounded continuously