SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS
SOLVING EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS 
Note:
If you would like an in-depth review of exponents, the rules of exponents, exponential functions and exponential equations, click on exponential function.
Solve for x in the following equation.
Example 4:
Your first objective is to isolate the expression. 
Add 
to both sides of the equation .
Multiply both sides of the equation 
by 
Your second objective is to isolate the variable x.
Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation 
The exact answer is 
and the
approximate answer is 
Check this answer in the original equation.
Check the solution by
substituting -0.501676693208 in the original equation for x. If the left
side of the equation equals the right side of the equation after the
substitution, you have found the correct answer.
You can also check your answer by graphing 
(formed by
subtracting the right side of the original equation from the left side).
Look to see where the graph crosses the x-axis; that will be the real
solution. Note that the graph crosses the x-axis at -0.501676693208. This
means that -0.501676693208 is the real solution.
If you would like to test yourself by working some problems similar to this
example, click on Problem
If you would like to go back to the equation table of contents, click on
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