// Numbas version: exam_results_page_options {"name": "Combining Logarithm Rules to Solve Equations", "extensions": [], "custom_part_types": [], "resources": [], "navigation": {"allowregen": true, "showfrontpage": false, "preventleave": false, "typeendtoleave": false}, "question_groups": [{"pickingStrategy": "all-ordered", "questions": [{"metadata": {"description": "

Apply and combine logarithm laws in a given equation to find the value of $x$.

", "licence": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"}, "ungrouped_variables": ["x1", "y1", "z1", "b1", "c", "b4", "b", "b2"], "type": "question", "rulesets": {}, "advice": "

a)

\n

We can use the logarithm law

\n

\\[k\\log_a(x)=\\log_a(x^k)\\text{,}\\]

\n

to also give a more specific rule

\n

\\[\\begin{align}
\\log_a\\left(\\frac{1}{x}\\right)&=\\log_a(x^{-1})\\\\
&=-\\log_a(x)\\text{.}
\\end{align}\\]

\n

This means we can write our expression as

\n

\\[\\log_\\var{b1}(x-\\var{b2})+\\log_\\var{b1}({x})=\\var{b4}\\text{.}\\]

\n

Then using the rule

\n

\\[\\log_a(x)+\\log_a(y)=\\log_a(x\\times y)\\text{,}\\]

\n

we can write our equation as

\n

\\[\\begin{align}
\\log_\\var{b1}(x(x-\\var{b2}))&=\\var{b4}\\\\
\\log_\\var{b1}(x^2-\\var{b2}x)&=\\var{b4}\\text{.}\\\\
\\end{align}\\]

\n

We then rely on the definition of $\\log_a$

\n

\\[b=a^c \\Longleftrightarrow \\log_{a}b=c\\]

\n

to write our equation as

\n

\\[\\begin{align}
x^2-\\var{b2}x&=\\var{b1}^\\var{b4}\\\\
&=\\var{b1^b4}\\text{.}
\\end{align}\\]

\n

We can then write out our equation and solve either by factorising or using the quadratic formula;

\n

\\[\\begin{align}
x^2-\\var{b2}x-\\var{b1^{b4}}&=0\\\\
(x+2)(x-\\var{b})&=0\\text{.}
\\end{align}\\]

\n

As logarithms can only be applied to positive numbers, the only possible value for $x$ is $\\var{b}$.

\n

b)

\n

$\\ln(x)$ is a shorthand for $\\log_e(x)$, so we can apply the same laws of logarithms here.

\n

Therefore applying the rule

\n

\\[k\\log_a(x)=\\log_a(x^k)\\]

\n

we can write our equation as

\n

\\[\\ln(x^\\var{p})+\\ln(\\var{q})=\\var{m}\\text{.}\\]

\n

Then using the rule

\n

\\[\\log_a(x)+\\log_a(y)=\\log_a(x\\times y)\\]

\n

we can write our equation as

\n

\\[\\ln(\\var{q}x^\\var{p})=\\var{m}\\text{.}\\]

\n

As $\\ln=\\log_e$ we can use 

\n

\\[a=b^c \\Longleftrightarrow \\log_ba=c\\]

\n

to write our equation as

\n

\\[\\var{q}x^\\var{p}=e^\\var{m}\\text{.}\\]

\n

We then just need to rearrange our equation

\n

\\[\\begin{align}
\\var{q}x^\\var{p}&=e^\\var{m}\\\\[0.5em]
x^\\var{p}&=\\frac{e^\\var{m}}{\\var{q}}\\\\[0.5em]
x&=\\frac{e^{\\var{m}/\\var{p}}}{\\var{q^(1/{p})}}
\\end{align}\\]

", "variables": {"p": {"description": "", "definition": "random(3..6)", "group": "part c", "name": "p", "templateType": "anything"}, "c": {"description": "", "definition": "b1^b4", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "c", "templateType": "anything"}, "v": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..10)", "group": "part c", "name": "v", "templateType": "anything"}, "m": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..20)", "group": "part c", "name": "m", "templateType": "anything"}, "b1": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..8 #2)", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "b1", "templateType": "anything"}, "y1": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..6)", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "y1", "templateType": "anything"}, "b2": {"description": "", "definition": "b-2", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "b2", "templateType": "anything"}, "q": {"description": "", "definition": "v^p", "group": "part c", "name": "q", "templateType": "anything"}, "b": {"description": "", "definition": "c/2", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "b", "templateType": "anything"}, "x1": {"description": "", "definition": "repeat(random(2..20),8)", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "x1", "templateType": "anything"}, "b4": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..4 except b1)", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "b4", "templateType": "anything"}, "z1": {"description": "", "definition": "random(2..6 except y1)", "group": "Ungrouped variables", "name": "z1", "templateType": "anything"}}, "statement": "", "name": "Combining Logarithm Rules to Solve Equations", "parts": [{"scripts": {}, "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "type": "gapfill", "showCorrectAnswer": true, "prompt": "

Solve for $x$.

\n

$\\log_\\var{b1}(x-\\var{b2})-\\log_\\var{b1}\\left(\\displaystyle\\frac{1}{x}\\right)=\\var{b4}$

\n

$x=$ [[0]]

", "variableReplacements": [], "showFeedbackIcon": true, "marks": 0, "gaps": [{"scripts": {}, "vsetrangepoints": 5, "showCorrectAnswer": true, "checkingaccuracy": 0.001, "showFeedbackIcon": true, "marks": "2", "checkvariablenames": false, "type": "jme", "answer": "{b}", "showpreview": true, "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "checkingtype": "absdiff", "vsetrange": [0, 1], "variableReplacements": [], "expectedvariablenames": []}]}, {"scripts": {}, "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "type": "gapfill", "showCorrectAnswer": true, "steps": [{"scripts": {}, "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "type": "information", "showCorrectAnswer": true, "prompt": "

You may find the following conversion useful

\n

\\[\\ln(x)=\\log_e(x)\\]

", "variableReplacements": [], "showFeedbackIcon": true, "marks": 0}], "prompt": "

Solve for $x$ and leave your answer in the form  $x=\\displaystyle\\frac{e^{a}}{b}$.

\n

$\\var{p}\\ln(x)+\\ln(\\var{q})=\\var{m}$ 

\n

$x=$ [[0]]

", "variableReplacements": [], "showFeedbackIcon": true, "marks": 0, "gaps": [{"scripts": {}, "vsetrangepoints": 5, "showCorrectAnswer": true, "checkingaccuracy": 0.001, "showFeedbackIcon": true, "marks": "2", "checkvariablenames": false, "type": "jme", "answer": "e^({m}/{p})/{v}", "notallowed": {"partialCredit": 0, "showStrings": false, "message": "", "strings": ["*", ")^"]}, "showpreview": true, "variableReplacementStrategy": "originalfirst", "checkingtype": "absdiff", "vsetrange": [0, 1], "variableReplacements": [], "expectedvariablenames": []}], "stepsPenalty": 0}], "tags": ["logarithm", "Logarithm", "logs", "Logs", "taxonomy"], "preamble": {"js": "", "css": ""}, "variable_groups": [{"name": "part c", "variables": ["p", "v", "q", "m"]}], "functions": {}, "extensions": [], "variablesTest": {"maxRuns": 100, "condition": ""}, "contributors": [{"name": "Christian Lawson-Perfect", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/7/"}, {"name": "Hannah Aldous", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/1594/"}]}]}], "contributors": [{"name": "Christian Lawson-Perfect", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/7/"}, {"name": "Hannah Aldous", "profile_url": "https://numbas.mathcentre.ac.uk/accounts/profile/1594/"}]}