A Level CIE Maths 3 hours 43 questions

2.1 Logarithmic &

Exponential
Functions

Easy (12 questions) /33

Medium (10 questions) /42 Scan here to return to the course

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Hard (10 questions) /40

Very Hard (11 questions) /50

Total Marks /165

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Easy Questions
1 Write down the value of:

(i) 33

(ii) 4-2

(iii) 90.5

(3 marks)

2 Sketch the graph with equation y = a x , a > 1 , stating the coordinates of the point where
the graph intersects the y -axis and the equation of any asymptotes.

Also state whether this equation would represent exponential growth or decay.

(3 marks)

3 The following equations can be used for exponential models.

State whether each one would represent exponential growth or exponential decay.

(i) y = 3−2x

(ii) y = 20(2) x

(iii) y = 30a −x where a > 1

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 (3 marks)

4 Write down the value of in the following statements:

(i) 3 a = 27

1
(ii)
a 3 =5

(iii) 4a 2 = 64

(3 marks)

5 Write down the value of in the following statements:

(i) log3 a = 4

(ii) log a 216 = 3

(iii) log2 128 = a

(3 marks)

6 Solve the equation

2x = 16

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 (1 mark)

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7 (a) Solve the equation x 2 − 12x + 27 = 0 .

(2 marks)

(b) Hence, or otherwise, solve the equation (3x ) 2 − 12(3x ) + 27 = 0 .

(3 marks)

8 Solve the equation

2log3 9 = 5x − 6

(2 marks)

9 Sketch the graph of y = e x , clearly showing the coordinates of the point where the graph
intercepts the y -axis and stating the equations of any asymptotes.

(3 marks)

10 Given y = e 2 x :

(i) dy
Write down an expression for dx .

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 (ii) Find the gradient of y = e 2 x at the point where x = 0 .

(2 marks)

11 Use a calculator to find the value of

(i) 5 log3 7

(ii) 2 log2 3 +3 log3 2

giving your answers to four significant figures.

(2 marks)

12 Solve the equation e 2 x − 16 = 0 , giving your answer in the form a lna where a is an
integer.

(3 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 On the same axes, sketch the graphs of y = 2x and y = 3x , labelling any points where
the graphs cross the coordinate axes and writing down the equation of any asymptotes.

(4 marks)

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2 (a) Sketch the graph of y = 2 −x , stating whether this graph indicates exponential growth or
exponential decay.

(3 marks)

(b) Find the exact value of y when x = 3 .

(1 mark)

3 Write down the value of a in the following statements.

(i) log a 8 = 3

(ii) log a = 2

(iii) ln e 3 = a

(iv) log5 a = 1

(4 marks)

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4 (a) Using a calculator, find to 3 significant figures

(i) log2 5 + log5 2

(ii) log 25 − ln 2

(iii) log 200 + log5 50 − log 20 + ln 10

(3 marks)

(b) Solve 3 log

2
4 + 3x = 5 log6 216.

(2 marks)

5 Solve 22 x − 24(2x ) + 128 = 0 .

(3 marks)

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6 (a) On the same axes, sketch the graphs of y = e x and y = e −x .
Label any points where the graphs intersect the coordinate axes.
Write down the equations of any asymptotes.

(4 marks)

(b) Write down the gradient of y = e x at the point (0,1) .

(1 mark)

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 dy
7 (a) Given y = e 4 x write down an expression for dx .

(1 mark)

dy
(b) Given y = 2 e 2 x write down an expression for dx .

(1 mark)

(c) Find the gradient y = 3 e −2 x of at the point where x = 3 .

Give your answer in the form pe q , where p and q are integers to be found.

(3 marks)

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8 (a) (i) Write down the gradient function of y = e−3 x

(ii) Find the gradient of y = e−3 x at the point where x = 0 .

(2 marks)

(b) (i) In terms of e , write down the gradient of y = e −3 x at the point where x = 2 .

(ii) Find the value for x for which the gradient of y = e −3 x is −3 e −12 .

(2 marks)

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9 (a) The function f (x ) is defined by f (x ) = 2e 3x for x ∈ℝ

(i) Find f (−x ) .

(ii) On the same axes, sketch the graphs of y = f (x ) and y = f (−x ) .

Label any points where the graphs intersect the coordinate axes.

(3 marks)

(b) Describe the transformation from y = f (x ) to y = − f (x ) .

(2 marks)

10 Solve e 2 x − 8 e x + 15 = 0 , giving your answers to 3 significant figures.

(3 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) On the same axes, sketch the graphs of y = 4x and y = 5x .

Label any points of intersection with the coordinate axes.

Write down the equations of any asymptotes.

(4 marks)

(b) Write down an equation for the graph that is a reflection of y = 4x in the y -axis.

(1 mark)

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2 (a) (i) Sketch the graph of y = 0 . 4x .

(ii) State whether this graph indicates exponential growth or exponential decay.

(3 marks)

(b) Find the value of x when y = 0 . 064 .

(1 mark)

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3 (a) Find the value of log 1000 + log 10000

(1 mark)

log 6 a
(b) Write down the value of a in the statement 6 = 36.

(1 mark)

log2 8
2log 4 64 + 3 − log 5
5
(c) Evaluate log 100
.

(2 marks)

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4 (a) Solve 2 log 1000 = x log16 4.

(2 marks)

(b) Solve 3 log

4
x = log4 x + 3 log5 25.

(2 marks)

5 Solve 2(22 x ) + 4 = 9(2x ) .

(3 marks)

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6 (a) Sketch the graph of y = 12e −x for x ≥ 0 .
Label any points of intersection with the coordinate axes.
Write down the equations of any asymptotes.

(3 marks)

(b) Write down the gradient of y = 12e −x at the point where x = 0 .

(1 mark)

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7 (a) The function f (x ) is defined by f (x ) = 3e2x for x ∈ℝ .

Find f (2x ) .

(2 marks)

(b) Find f'(2x ) .

(2 marks)

8 Solve 2 e 2 x = e x + 10, giving your answer to 3 significant figures.

(3 marks)

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9 (a) Find the gradient of the curve y = ae bx where and a and b are constants.

(1 mark)

(b) At the point (0, a ) the gradient is 12, find b in terms of a .

(2 marks)

(c) Hence write down y in terms of a (and x ) only.

(1 mark)

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10 (a) Show that the equation e x − e −x = 0 has only one real solution.

(3 marks)

(b) Explain why the equation e x + e −x = 0 has no real solutions.

(2 marks)

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Very Hard Questions
1 (a) On the same axes, sketch the graphs of y = 0 . 3x and y = 0 . 5x .

Label any points of intersection with the coordinate axes.

Write down the equations of any asymptotes.

(4 marks)

(b) Write down an equation for the graph that is a reflection of y = 0 . 5x in the y -axis.

(1 mark)

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2 (a) Sketch the graph of y = 0 . 2 −x , stating whether this graph indicates exponential growth
or exponential decay.

(3 marks)

(b) Find the value of x when y = 625 .

(1 mark)

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3 (a) Without using a calculator, evaluate log 128 .
4
Show each stage of your solution carefully.

(2 marks)

log5 625
3log 6 216 − ln e 5 + 4
(b) Evaluate log 10000
.

(2 marks)

4 Solve 32(x + 1) + 3 = 28(3x ) .

(4 marks)

5 Find two values of x for which log(x 2) = (log x ) 2 is true.

(4 marks)

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6 (a) Sketch the graph of y = 4 e x for x ≥ 0 .
Label any points of intersection with the coordinate axes.
Write down the equations of any asymptotes.

(3 marks)

(b) Find the gradient of y = 4 e x at the point where x = 3 , giving your answer correct to 3
significant figures.

(1 mark)

(c) The population growth of population, P, at time, t years, is modelled by the equation
P = 4e t
Write down the initial population.

(1 mark)

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7 (a) The function f (x ) is defined by f (x ) = 5e 3x for x ∈ℝ .

Find f ( 4x ) .

(2 marks)

(b) Find f'(5x ) .

(2 marks)

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 1
8 (a) Find the gradient of the curve y = a e −bx where a and b are constants.

(1 mark)

(b) State a condition on b to ensure y represents exponential decay.

(1 mark)

(c) At the point (0, a ) the gradient is 10. Find y in terms of a (and x ) only.

(2 marks)

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9 (a) A particle is travelling with velocity, v ms-1, at time t seconds.
The velocity of the particle is modelled v = 0 . 3 e kt , where k is a constant.

Write down the initial velocity of the particle.

(1 mark)

(b) Find an expression (in terms of k and t ) for the acceleration of the particle.

(2 marks)

(c) After 12 seconds the velocity of the particle is 0.9 ms-1.

Find the value of k , giving your answer to 3 significant figures.

(3 marks)

(d) State a problem with the model for large values of t

(1 mark)

10 Solve ( e x − e −x ) 2 = 0.

(4 marks)

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11 Solve the equation 2 e 3 x − 11e 2 x + 12e x = 0 , giving answers to 3 significant figures
where appropriate.

(5 marks)

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