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CHAPTER

8 Chapter Summary

What did you learn? Why did you learn it?

Graph exponential functions.
• exponential growth functions (8.1) Estimate wind energy generated by turbines. (p. 470)
• exponential decay functions (8.2) Find the depreciated value of a car. (p. 476)
• natural base functions (8.3) Find the number of endangered species. (p. 482)
Evaluate and simplify expressions.
• exponential expressions with base e (8.3) Find air pressure on Mount Everest. (p. 484)
• logarithmic expressions (8.4) Approximate distance traveled by a tornado. (p. 491)
Graph logarithmic functions. (8.4) Estimate the average diameter of sand particles for a
beach with given slope. (p. 489)
Use properties of logarithms. (8.5) Compare loudness of sounds. (p. 495)
Solve exponential and logarithmic equations. (8.6) Use Newton’s law of cooling. (p. 502)
Model data with exponential and power functions. Model the number of U.S. stamps issued. (p. 515)
(8.7)
Evaluate and graph logistic growth functions. (8.8) Model the height of a sunflower. (p. 519)
Use exponential, logarithmic, and logistic growth Model a telescope’s limiting magnitude. (p. 507)
functions to model real-life situations. (8.1–8.8)

How does Chapter 8 fit into the BIGGER PICTURE of algebra?

In Chapter 2 you began your study of functions and learned that quantities that
increase by the same amount over equal periods of time are modeled by linear
functions. In Chapter 8 you saw that quantities that increase by the same
percent over equal periods of time are modeled by exponential functions.
Exponential functions and logarithmic functions are two important “families”
of functions. They model many real-life situations, and they are used in
advanced mathematics topics such as calculus and probability.

STUDY STRATEGY

How did you study Study Group

with a group? Lesson 8.4 Summary
Here is an example of a summary Definition of logarithm: log y
b = x if and only if b x = y
prepared for Lesson 8.4 and Common logarithm (base 10):
log10 x = log x
presented to the group, following Natural logarithm (base e): log
the Study Strategy on page 464. e x = ln x
Inverse functions: ƒ(x) = b x
(exponential) and
g(x) = logb x (logarithmic)
Graph of logarithmic function
ƒ(
asymptote x = h; domain x > x) = logb (x º h) + k:
h; range all real
numbers; up b > 0; down 0 <
b<1

523
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CHAPTER

8 Chapter Review

VOCABULARY

• exponential function, p. 465 • exponential decay function, p. 474 • common logarithm, p. 487
• base of an exponential function, p. 465 • decay factor, p. 476 • natural logarithm, p. 487
• asymptote, p. 465 • natural base e, or Euler number, p. 480 • change-of-base formula, p. 494
• exponential growth function, p. 466 • logarithm of y with base b, p. 486 • logistic growth function, p. 517
• growth factor, p. 467

Examples on
8.1 EXPONENTIAL GROWTH pp. 465–468

EXAMPLE An exponential growth function has the form y = ab x with

a > 0 and b > 1.
y  2 5x 

x+2 x
To graph y = 2 • 5 º 4, first lightly sketch the graph of y = 2 • 5 ,
which passes through (0, 2) and (1, 10). Then translate the graph 2 units 2x
to the left and 4 units down. The graph passes through (º2, º2) and 4
(º1, 6). The asymptote is the line y = º4. The domain is all real numbers, y2  5x  2  4
and the range is y > º4.

Graph the function. State the domain and range.

1. y = º2 x + 4 2. y = 3 • 2 x 3. y = 5 • 3 x º 2 4. y = 4x + 3 º 1

Examples on
8.2 EXPONENTIAL DECAY pp. 474–476

EXAMPLE An exponential decay function has the form y = ab x with y

a > 0 and 0 < b < 1.

 13 
x
 43 
To graph y = 4  , plot (0, 4) and 1,  . From right to left draw a
y4  13 x
curve that begins just above the x-axis, passes through the two points, 1
and moves up. The asymptote is the line y = 0. The domain is all real 1 x
numbers, and the range is y > 0.

Tell whether the function represents exponential growth or exponential decay.

5. ƒ(x) = 5 
4 
3 x

5 x
6. ƒ(x) = 2 
4
7. ƒ(x) = 3(6)ºx 8. ƒ(x) = 4(3)x

Graph the function. State the domain and range.


1 x
9. y = 
4 
3 xº1
10. y = 2 
5 
1 x
11. y =  º 5
2
3 x
12. y = º3  + 2
4 
524 Chapter 8 Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
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Examples on
8.3 THE NUMBER e pp. 480–482

EXAMPLES You can use e as the base of an exponential function.

To graph such a function, use e ≈ 2.718 and plot some points.
3
ƒ(x) = 3e2x is an exponential growth function, since 2 > 0. y  3e 2x y  3e2x
g(x) = 3eº2x is an exponential decay function, since º2 < 0.
For both functions, the y-intercept is 3, the asymptote is y = 0, 1 x
the domain is all real numbers, and the range is y > 0.

Graph the function. State the domain and range.

13. y = e x + 5 14. y = 0.4e x º 3 15. y = 4eº2x 16. y = ºex + 3

Examples on
8.4 LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS pp. 486–489

EXAMPLES You can use the definition of logarithm to evaluate expressions:

logb y = x if and only if b x = y. The common logarithm has base 10 (log10 x = log x).
The natural logarithm has base e (loge x = ln x).
y
To evaluate log8 4096, write log8 4096 = log8 84 = 4.
To graph the logarithmic function ƒ(x) = 2 log x + 1, plot points 1 ƒ(x)  2 log x  1
such as (1, 1) and (10, 3). The vertical line x = 0 is an asymptote. 1 x
The domain is x > 0, and the range is all real numbers.

Evaluate the expression without using a calculator.

1 1
17. log4 64 18. log2  19. log3  20. log6 1
8 9

Graph the function. State the domain and range.

21. y = 3 log5 x 22. y = log 4x 23. y = ln x + 4 24. y = log (x º 2)

Examples on
8.5 PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS pp. 493–495

EXAMPLES You can use product, quotient, and power properties of logarithms.
3x
Expand: log2  = log2 3x º log2 y = log2 3 + log2 x º log2 y
y
Condense: 3 log6 4 + log6 2 = log6 43 + log6 2 = log6 (64 • 2) = log6 128

Expand the expression.

7x x5yº2
25. log3 6xy 26. ln  27. log 5x3 28. log 
3 2y
Condense the expression.
29. 2 ln 3 º ln 5 30. log4 3 + 3 log4 2 31. 0.5 log 4 + 2(log 6 º log 2)

Chapter Review 525

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Examples on
8.6 SOLVING EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC EQUATIONS pp. 501–504

EXAMPLES You can solve exponential equations by equating exponents or by taking

the logarithm of each side. You can solve logarithmic equations by exponentiating each
side of the equation.
10x = 4.3 log4 x = 3
log 10x = log 4.3 Take log of each side. 4log 4 x = 43 Exponentiate each side.
3
x = log 4.3 ≈ 0.633 x = 4 = 64

Solve the equation. Check for extraneous solutions.

32. 2(3)2x = 5 33. 3eºx º 4 = 9 34. 3 + ln x = 8 35. 5 log (x º 2) = 11

Examples on
8.7 MODELING WITH EXPONENTIAL AND POWER FUNCTIONS pp. 509–512

EXAMPLE You can write an exponential function of the form y = ab x or a power

function of the form y = axb that passes through two given points.
To find a power function given (3, 2) and (9, 12), substitute the coordinates into
y = ax b to get the equations 2 = a • 3b and 12 = a • 9 b. Solve the system of equations
by substitution: a ≈ 0.333 and b ≈ 1.631. So, the function is y = 0.333x1.631.

Find an exponential function of the form y = ab x whose graph passes through

the given points.
36. (2, 6), (3, 8) 37. (2, 8.9), (4, 20) 38. (2, 4.2), (4, 3.6)

Find a power function of the form y = ax b whose graph passes through the
given points.
39. (2, 3.4), (6, 7.3) 40. (2, 12.5), (4, 33.2) 41. (0.5, 1), (10, 150)

Examples on
8.8 LOGISTIC GROWTH FUNCTIONS pp. 517–519

EXAMPLE You can graph logistic growth functions by plotting y

points and identifying important characteristics of the graph.
6
The graph of y = 
º2x
is shown. It has asymptotes (0.55, 3)
1 + 3e
2
y = 0 and y = 6. The y-intercept is 1.5. The point of maximum

 ln23 62 
growth is ,  ≈ (0.55, 3).
1 x

Graph the function. Identify the asymptotes, y-intercept, and point of maximum
growth.
2 4 3
42. y =  43. y =  44. y = 
1 + eº2x 1 + 2eº3x 1 + 0.5eº0.5x

526 Chapter 8 Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

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CHAPTER

8 Chapter Test

Graph the function. State the domain and range.

1. y = 2 
6 
1 x
2. y = 4x º 2 º 1
1
3. y = e x + 1
2
4. y = eº0.4x
2
5. y = log1/2 x 6. y = ln x º 4 7. y = log (x + 6) 8. y = 
1 + 2eºx
Simplify the expression.
º4e x
9. (2eº1)(3e2) 10.  11. e6 • e x • eº3x 12. log 10002 13. 8log8 x
2e5x
Evaluate the expression without using a calculator.
14. log4 0.25 15. log1/3 27 16. log 1 17. ln eº2 18. log3 2432

Solve the equation. Check for extraneous solutions.

4
19. 12 = 10 x + 5 º 7 20. 5 º ln x = 7 21. log2 4x = log2 (x + 15) 22.  = 3.3
1 + 2.5eº4x
23. Tell whether the function ƒ(x) = 10(0.87)x represents exponential growth or
exponential decay.
24. Find the inverse of the function y = log6 x.
25. Use log2 5 ≈ 2.322 to approximate log2 50 and log2 0.4.
26. Condense the expression 3 log4 14 º 3 log4 42.
27. Expand the expression ln 2y2x.
28. Use the change-of-base formula to evaluate the expression log7 15.
29. Find an exponential function of the form y = ab x whose graph passes through
the points (4, 6) and (7, 10).
30. Find a power function of the form y = ax b whose graph passes through the
points (2, 3) and (10, 21).
31. CAR DEPRECIATION The value of a new car purchased for $24,900
decreases by 10% per year. Write an exponential decay model for the value of
the car. After about how many years will the car be worth half its purchase price?
32. EARNING INTEREST You deposit $4000 in an account that pays 7% annual
interest compounded continuously. Find the balance at the end of 5 years.
33. COD WEIGHT The table gives the mean weight w (in kilograms) and age x
(in years) of Atlantic cod from the Gulf of Maine.

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
w 0.751 1.079 1.702 2.198 3.438 4.347 7.071 11.518

a. Draw a scatter plot of ln w versus x. Is an exponential model a good fit for the
original data?
b. Find an exponential model for the original data. Estimate the weight of a cod
that is 9 years old.

Chapter Test 527