1
The Exponential Function
and Its Inverse
Exponential functions are useful for describing
relationships. If the growth of a population is
proportional to the size of the population as it
grows, we describe the growth as exponential.
Bacterial growth and compound interest are
examples of exponential growth. Exponential
decay occurs in nuclear reactions and in the
depreciation in value of vehicles or equipment.
• grid paper x y
0 1
1 2
2
3
4
5
6
5
Place the cursor on L3 in the
6 table and press O o
for [LIST].
b) Explain how these values confirm your answer to step 1b). From the OPS menu, choose
7:List( and type O 2 for
3. a) Compare the pattern of values for y and Δ1y. Explain what you notice.
[L2] and then a closing bracket.
b) Predict the pattern of values for the second differences, Δ2y, of this Press e.
function.
c) Calculate the second differences and record them in the fourth column
of the table. Was your prediction correct? Explain.
4. Predict the values for the third differences, Δ3y, and justify your prediction
with mathematical reasoning. Test your prediction and enter these values
in the last column.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the function y 3x.
6. R e f l e c t What do these results illustrate about the rate of change of an
exponential function?
b) What is the average slope of the curve for the interval [0, 1], correct to
one decimal place?
c) How is the average slope related to the first of the first differences you
found in part A of this Investigate?
4. a) Drag point B until it is very close to A, first to the left, and then to
the right, so that the line through A and B approximates a tangent
to the curve at x 0. Note the slope in each case and estimate the
instantaneous rate of change when x 0, correct to one decimal place.
b) Move both points very close to where x 1 and estimate the
instantaneous rate of change when x 1, correct to one decimal place.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for several points on the graph. Use whole-number
values of x. Record all your results in a table like this one.
x0 x1
x1 x2
x2 x3
x3 x4
x4 x5
Solution
x y 1y
Calculate Δ1y to determine 0 1
if the data represent an 1 4 3
exponential function.
2 16 12
3 64 48
Calculation Inverse
x y
2x y (y, x)
4
1
24 _
16
1
_
16 (_1
16
, 4)
3 23 ?
2
1
b) Verify that each ordered pair in the fourth column of the table is on
your graph of the inverse function.
7. R e f l e c t
a) How are the two graphs related?
b) When the image point was constructed from the constructed point
on the graph of y 2x, why were the coordinates chosen in the
order (y, x)?
8. a) Using graphing technology, explore the effect of changing the base
of the function y bx for values of b for
i) b 1
ii) 0 b 1
b) R e f l e c t Describe what happens to the graphs of the function and
its inverse in each case.
Solution
a) i) domain {x ∈ ⺢}; range {y ∈ ⺢, y > 0}
ii) no x-intercepts
iii) y-intercept 1
iv) positive for all values of x
v) increasing for all intervals
vi) horizontal asymptote with equation y 0; no vertical asymptote
b), c) y
y 4x
4
4 2 0 2 4 x
2
x 4y
4
0 x 0 x
y y
x
yb ,b1
y bx, 0 b 1
0 x 0 x
x by xb y
A Practise
For help with questions 1 and 2, refer to D x y
Investigate 1, part A.
3 27
1. Which of the following functions are exponential?
Explain how you can tell.
2 9
A x y
1 3 1 3
2 6
0 1
3 9
4 12 1
_
1
3
B x y
2. Refer to question 1. For the exponential
0 0 functions that you identified, write an equation
1 1 to fit the data.
2 3
For help with questions 3 and 4, refer to
3 10
Investigate 1, part B.
4 16 x
3. a) Use Technology Graph the function y 1.5
C over the domain 0 x 6 using graphing
x y
technology.
0 1
b) Determine the average rate of change of y
1 3
with respect to x for each interval.
2 9
i) x 1 to x 2
3 27
ii) x 2 to x 3
4 81 iii) x 3 to x 4
iv) x 4 to x 5
()
x
y with respect to x at each of the endpoints 1
i) y 5x ii) y _
in part b). 2
iv) y ( _
5)
x
d) Describe how these rates are changing over 1
iii) y 2x
the given domain.
()
x
4. Repeat question 3 for the function y _ 1 y
a)
2
over the domain 4 x 2. 4
For part b) use the following intervals.
i) x 3 to x 2 2
ii) x 2 to x 1
4 2 0 2 4 x
iii) x 1 to x 0
iv) x 0 to x 1 2
8 4
6 2
4
4 2 0 2 4 x
2 2
x 4
4 2 0 2 4
y 4
8
6 d) y
4 4
2 2
x 4 2 0 2 4 x
4 2 0 2 4
2
0 2 4 6 8 x
2
2
0 2 4 6 8 x
4
2
4
d) y
4
b) y
2
4
0 2 4 6 8 x
2
2
0 2 4 6 8 x
4
2
4
()
x
each function. 1 to
Use the functions f(x) 4 and g(x) _
x
f and g. Describe how Representing Selecting Tools d) Use technology to try to evaluate
they are Problem Solving i) f (0.5) ii) f (2.5)
a) alike Connecting Reflecting Use numerical reasoning to explain why
Communicating
b) different these values are undefined.
e) Use these results to explain why exponential
18. Repeat question 17 for f1 and g1.
functions are defined only for functions
19. a) Copy the graph. with positive bases.
y 22. Chapter Problem A spaceship approaches
4 Planet X and the planet’s force of gravity starts
to pull the ship in. To prevent a crash, the crew
2 x 6y must engage the thrusters when the ship is
exactly 100 km from the planet. The distance
0 2 4 6 8 x
away from the planet can be modelled by the
2 function d(t) (1.4)t, where d represents the
distance, in hundreds of kilometres, between
4
the ship and the planet and t represents the
time, in seconds.
b) Graph the line y x on the same grid. a) What is the ship’s average velocity between
c) Graph the inverse of this function by 1 s and 2 s? between 3 s and 4 s?
reflecting it in the line y x. b) What is the ship’s instantaneous velocity at
d) Write an equation for the inverse function. 3 s? at 4 s?
CAREER CONNECTION
Andre completed a 4-year bachelor of science
degree in nuclear medicine at the Michener
Institute for Applied Health Sciences. He now
works in a hospital as a nuclear medicine
technologist. After administering a dose of a
<<P6-8: photo of
radiopharmaceutical to a patient, he monitors Andre, African male
the spread of the radioactive drug with a gamma with a white lab
scintillation camera. Andre saves the images on coat on>>
a computer. They will later be interpreted by
a doctor. It is critical that Andre decide on the
correct radioactive material to use, as well as
calculating and preparing the proper dosage.