P3 Chapter 5

Exponentials and Logarithms

A. Exponential functions

1. The function f(x) is defined as 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 3𝑥𝑥 , 𝑥𝑥 ∈ 𝑅𝑅. On the same axes, sketch the graphs of:
a) y=f(x)
b) y=2f(x)
c) y=f(x)-4
2. The graph of 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑘𝑘𝑎𝑎 𝑥𝑥 passes through the points (1,6) and (4,48). Find the values of the constants
k and a.

B. The exponential function

1. Sketch the graphs of:

a) 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥+1
b) 𝑦𝑦 = 4 − 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥
c) 𝑦𝑦 = 100𝑒𝑒 −𝑥𝑥 + 10
C. The derivative of the exponential function

1. Differentiate the following with respect to x:

a) 𝒆𝒆𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟔
𝟏𝟏
b) 𝒆𝒆−𝟑𝟑𝒙𝒙
c) 𝒆𝒆𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 + 𝟐𝟐𝒆𝒆𝒙𝒙

2. Find the gradient of the curve with equation 𝑦𝑦 = 𝒆𝒆𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 at the point where x=2.

D. 1. Find the exact solutions to the equations

(a) ln x + ln 3 = ln 6,
(2)
(b) ex + 3e–x = 4.
(4)
2. The function f is defined by

f : x  ln (4 – 2x), x < 2 and x ∈ ℝ.

(a) Show that the inverse function of f is defined by

f –1 : x  2 – 1
2
ex

and write down the domain of f –1.

(4)
(b) Write down the range of f –1.
(1)
(c) Sketch the graph of y = f –1(x). State the coordinates of the points of intersection with the
x and y axes.
(4)
3. The functions f and g are defined by

f : x  ln (2x – 1), x ∈ ℝ, x > 1

2
,

2
g: x  , x ∈ ℝ, x ≠ 3.
x−3

(a) Find the exact value of fg(4).

(2)
(b) Find the inverse function f –1(x), stating its domain.
(4)
(c) Sketch the graph of y = |g(x)|. Indicate clearly the equation of the vertical asymptote and
the coordinates of the point at which the graph crosses the y-axis.
(3)
2
(d) Find the exact values of x for which = 3.
x−3
(3)
4. The function f is given by

f: x ↦ ln (3x − 6), x ∈ ℝ, x > 2.

(a) Find f−1(x).

(3)
(b) Write down the domain of f−1 and the range of f−1.
(2)
(c) Find, to 3 significant figures, the value of x for which f(x) = 3.
(2)

The function g is given by

g: x ↦ ln (3x − 6), x ∈ ℝ, x ≠ 2.

(d) Sketch the graph of y = g(x).

(3)
(e) Find the exact coordinates of all the points at which the graph of y = g(x) meets the
coordinate axes.
(3)
5. The functions f and g are defined by

f : x  2x + ln 2, x ∈ ℝ,

g : x  e2x, x ∈ ℝ.

(a) Prove that the composite function gf is

gf : x  4e4x, x ∈ ℝ.
(4)
(b) Sketch the curve with equation y = gf(x), and show the coordinates of the point where the
curve cuts the y-axis.
(1)
(c) Write down the range of gf.
(1)
6.

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows a sketch of part of the curve with equation y = f(x), x ∈ ℝ.

The curve meets the coordinate axes at the points A(0, 1 – k) and B( 12 ln k, 0), where k is a
constant and k >1, as shown in Figure 2.

On separate diagrams, sketch the curve with equation

(a) y = f(x),
(3)
(b) y = f −1(x).
(2)

Show on each sketch the coordinates, in terms of k, of each point at which the curve meets or
cuts the axes.

Given that f(x) = e2x − k,

(c) state the range of f,

(1)
(d) find f −1(x),
(3)
(e) write down the domain of f −1.
(1)
7. For the constant k, where k > 1, the functions f and g are defined by

f: x  ln (x + k), x > –k,

g: x  2x – k, x ∈ ℝ.

(a) On separate axes, sketch the graph of f and the graph of g.

On each sketch state, in terms of k, the coordinates of points where the graph meets the
coordinate axes.
(5)
(b) Write down the range of f.
(1)
k
(c) Find fg   in terms of k, giving your answer in its simplest form.
4
(2)

The curve C has equation y = f(x). The tangent to C at the point with x-coordinate 3 is parallel
to the line with equation 9y = 2x + 1.

(d) Find the value of k.

(4)
E. Logarithms and non-linear data
1. Two variables, A and x, satisfy the formula 𝐴𝐴 = 6𝑥𝑥 4
a) Show that 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙6 + 4𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙
b) The straight line graph of logA against logx is plotted. Write down the gradient
and the value of the intercept on the vertical axis.

2. Kleiber’s law is an empirical law in biology which connects the mass of an animal, m,
to its resting metabolic rate, R. The law follows the form 𝑅𝑅 = 𝑎𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑏𝑏 , where a and b are
constants. The table below contains data of five animals.
Animal Mouse Guinea pig Rabbit Goat Cow
Mass, m 0.030 0.408 4.19 34.6 650
(kg)
Metabolic 4.2 32.3 195 760 7637
rate, R
(kcal per
day)

a) Copy and complete this table giving values of logR and logm to 2 d.p.
logm -1.52
logR 0.62 1.51 2.29 2.88 3.88

b) Plot a graph of logR against logm using the values from your table and draw in a
line of best fit.
c) Use your graph to estimate the values of a and b to 2 significant figures.
d) Using your values of a and b, estimate the resting metabolic rate of a human male
with a mass of 80 kg.
F. Exponential modelling

1. A particular species of orchid is being studied. The population p at time t years after the
study started is assumed to be

2800ae 0.2t
p= , where a is a constant.
1 + ae 0.2t

Given that there were 300 orchids when the study started,

(a) show that a = 0.12,

(3)
(b) use the equation with a = 0.12 to predict the number of years before the population of
orchids reaches 1850.
(4)
336
(c) Show that p = .
0.12 + e −0.2t
(1)
(d) Hence show that the population cannot exceed 2800.
(2)
2. The radioactive decay of a substance is given by

R = 1000e−ct, t ≥ 0.

where R is the number of atoms at time t years and c is a positive constant.

(a) Find the number of atoms when the substance started to decay.
(1)

It takes 5730 years for half of the substance to decay.

(b) Find the value of c to 3 significant figures.

(4)
(c) Calculate the number of atoms that will be left when t = 22 920 .
(2)
(d) Sketch the graph of R against t .
(2)
3. The amount of a certain type of drug in the bloodstream t hours after it has been taken is given
by the formula
-1t
x = De 8 ,

where x is the amount of the drug in the bloodstream in milligrams and D is the dose given in
milligrams.

A dose of 10 mg of the drug is given.

(a) Find the amount of the drug in the bloodstream 5 hours after the dose is given.
Give your answer in mg to 3 decimal places.
(2)
A second dose of 10 mg is given after 5 hours.

(b) Show that the amount of the drug in the bloodstream 1 hour after the second dose is
13.549 mg to 3 decimal places.
(2)

No more doses of the drug are given. At time T hours after the second dose is given, the amount
of the drug in the bloodstream is 3 mg.

(c) Find the value of T.

(3)