SOLVING LOGARITHMIC EQUATIONS

Note:

If you would like an in-depth review of logarithms, the rules of logarithms, logarithmic functions and logarithmic equations, click on logarithmic functions.

Solve for x in the following equation.

Problem 8.4c:

$\log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}=5$

Answer:

$x=\displaystyle \frac{\left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3} \right) ^{\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}}+11}{6}.$ The approximate answer is $x\approx 2.10253638412\bigskip\bigskip$

Solution:

The above equation is valid only if the term $\quad \log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3} }\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}$ is valid. The term $\log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}$ is valid only if $\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}>0\longrightarrow x> \displaystyle \frac{11}{6}.$ Therefore, the equation is valid when $x>\displaystyle \frac{11}{6}.$Another way of saying this is that the domain is the set of real numbers where $x>\displaystyle \frac{11}{6}.$

Convert the logarithmic equation to an exponential equation with base $$\frac{4}{3}.$$

$$\begin{eqnarray*}&& \\ \log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3... ...e \frac{4}{3}\right) ^{5} &=&\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3} \\ && \\ \end{eqnarray*}$$
$$\begin{eqnarray*}&& \\ \left[ \left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) ^{5}\righ... ...ac{4}{3}\right) ^{\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}} &=&6x-11 \\ && \\ \end{eqnarray*}$$
$$\begin{eqnarray*}&& \\ \left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) ^{\displaystyle ... ...yle \frac{5}{3}}+11}{6} &=&\displaystyle \frac{6x}{6} \\ && \\ \end{eqnarray*}$$
$$\begin{eqnarray*}&& \\ x &=&\displaystyle \frac{\left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3... ... ^{\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}}+11}{6}\approx 2.10253638412 \\ && \end{eqnarray*}$$

The exact answer is $x=\displaystyle \frac{\left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) ^{\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}}+11}{6} ;$ the approximate answer is $x\approx 2.10253638412.$ This answer may or may not be the solution to the original equation. You must check the answer in the original equation, either by numerical substitution or by graphing.

Numerical Check:

• Check the answer $x=\displaystyle \frac{\left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) ^{\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}}+11 }{6}$ by substituting 2.10253638412 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.

  
  

Left Side: $\qquad \log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}$

$$\begin{eqnarray*}&& \\ &=&\log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6\left( 2.102... ...\left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) } \\ && \\ &=&5 \\ && \end{eqnarray*}$$

Right Side:$\qquad 5$

Since the left side of the original equation is equal to the right side of the original equation after we substitute the value 2.10253638412 for x, then x=2.10253638412 is a solution.

Graphical Check:

You can also check your answer by graphing $\quad f(x)=\log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3} }\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}-5\quad$(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 2.10253638412. This means that 2.10253638412 is the real solution.

If you have trouble graphing the function $f(x)=\log _{\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}}\left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}-5\quad$, graph the equivalent function $f(x)=\displaystyle \frac{\ln \left( 6x-11\right) ^{3}}{\ln \left( \displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\right) }-5\quad$

If you would like to review the solution to problem 8.4d, click on solution.

If you would like to go to the next section, click on next.

If you would like to go back to the previous section, click on previous.

If you would like to go back to the equation table of contents, click on contents.

This site was built to accommodate the needs of students. The topics and problems are what students ask for. We ask students to help in the editing so that future viewers will access a cleaner site. If you feel that some of the material in this section is ambiguous or needs more clarification, or you find a mistake, please let us know by e-mail.

[Algebra] [Trigonometry] [Geometry] [Differential Equations] [Calculus] [Complex Variables] [Matrix Algebra]

S.O.S. MATHematics home page

Copyright © 1999-2004 MathMedics, LLC. All rights reserved.
Math Medics, LLC. - P.O. Box 12395 - El Paso TX 79913 - USA