Logs and Exponentials – HSC

Question 1s

1. '99 1a Find the value of e3 , correct to three significant figures.

2. '00 1a Find the value of log 8e correct to two decimal places.

3. '01 1d Find a primitive of 3+ 1 . x

3
4. '02 1d Integrate .x

5. '03 1a Evaluate e−3.5 correct to 3 significant figures.

6. '06 1a Evaluate e−0.5 correct to three decimal places.

7. '09 1f Solve the equation ln x= 2. Give your answer correct to four decimal places.

Question 2s

2x
8. '97 2c Find a primitive of 2 .
x +1

9. '98 2b(ii) Evaluate e dxx .

10. '98 2c Find dx .

12 + 1 dx

11. '99 2a(i) Find x x

1
dx
∫ 12. '01 2a Evaluate .
0 x+ 4

x e
13. '01 2c Differentiate with respect to x: (i) ln(x2 −9) (ii) x
14. '02 2a Find the equation of the tangent to y = e 2x at the point (0,1) .

ln x
15. '02 2b(ii) Differentiate 2 .x

16. '02 2d(ii) Evaluate e dx.

17. '03 2a Find the equation of the normal to the curve y = 2loge x at the point (e,2).

18. '05 2c(i) Find dx.

19. '05 2d Find the equation of the tangent to y = loge x at the point (e,1).

20. '06 2b (i) Find ∫ (1+e )dx .

7x
(ii) Evaluate ∫
03
8x dx .
2

1+ x

2x
21. '07 2a(i) Differentiate with respect to x: x

e +1

22. '08 2a(ii) Differentiate with respect to x: x2 loge x

dx
23. '08 2c(i) Find .
x +5

24. '09 2a(ii) Differentiate with respect to x: (e +1)

x 2

25. '10 2c Find the gradient of the tangent to the curve y= ln 3( x) at the point where x= 2.

26. '10 2d(ii) Find dx .

27. '11 2d Find the derivative of y = x e2 x with respect to x.

Question 3s

28. '95 3a Differentiate: (i) 4e2x (ii) xloge x

29. '95 3c(i) Find ∫e 3x
dx

30. '96 3a(ii) Differentiate: xe2x

5
e3

∫ 31. '96 3d Evaluate dx

1x

32. '97 3a(iii) Differentiate x2 ln x .

ex
33. '99 3a(ii) Differentiate .
1+ x

34. '00 3a(i) Differentiate 3xex .

35. '00 3c(ii) Evaluate dx .

36. '00 3d Find the equation of the tangent to the curve y = 2loge x at (1,0) .

37. '03 3a(i) Differentiate with respect to x: (2e −4)x 9

38. '03 3d(i) Find dx.

39. '04 3a(i) Differentiate with respect to x: x2 loge x.

40. '04 3b (i) Evaluate e x dx. (ii) Find dx .

41. '10 3b (i) Sketch the curve y = ln x .

(ii) Use the trapezoidal rule with three function values to find an approximation to xdx .
(iii) State whether the approximation found in part (ii) is greater than or less than the exact

value of xdx . Justify your answer.

Question 4s

42. '10 4b The curves y = e2x and y = e−x intersect at the point (0,1) as shown in the diagram.
 Find the exact area enclodes by the curves and the line x = 2.

43. '10 4d Let f x( ) = +1 ex . Show that f x( )× f (−x) = f x( )+ f (−x).

5
e3

∫44. '11 4b Evaluate dx. e x

Question 5s

45. '96 5bc (b) Solve the equation u2 − − =u 1 0 correct to three decimal places.

(c) The diagram shows the graphs of y = ex −1 and y = e−x.

(i) Find the area between the curves from x =1 to x = 2. Leave your answer in
terms of e.
(ii) Show that the curves intersect when e2x −ex − =10.
(iii) Use the results of part (b) with u = ex to show that the x coordinate of the point
of intersection of the curves is approximately 0.481.

46. '97 5a Evaluate e x dx.

47. '99 5b Let log 2a = x and log 3a = y . Find an expression for log 12a in terms of x and y .

48. '01 5b (i) Find log10 (21000 ) correct to 3 decimal places.

(ii) We know that 210 =1024, so that 210 can be represented by a 4 digit numeral.
How many digits are there in 21000 when written as a numeral?

49. '05 5a Use the change of base formula to evaluate log 73 correct to two decimal places.

50. '05 5c Find the coordinates of the point P on the curve y = 2ex +3x at which the tangent to the
curve is parallel to the line y = 5x−3.
*51. '10 5c The diagram
shows the
curve y = 1
for x > 0. x
The area under the curve between x a= and x =1 is A1. The area under the
curve between x =1 and x = b is A2 .

The areas A1 and A2 are each equal to 1 square unit. Find the values of a and b .

Question 6s

y y

The graphs intersect at the points A and B as shown.

(i) Find the x coordinates of the points A and B .

 (ii) Find the area of the shaded region between y = 4 and y = −5 x . x

*53. '98 6b The function f x( ) = xe−2x +1 has first derivative f ′(x) = e−2x −2xe−2x and second derivative f ′′(x) =
4xe−2x −4e−2x .

(i) Find the value of x for which y = f x( ) has a stationary point.

(ii) Find the values of x for which f x( ) is increasing.

(iii) Find the values of x for which y = f x( ) has a point of inflexion and determine where

the graph of y = f x( ) is concave upwards.

(iv) Sketch the curve y fx .

(v) Describe the behaviour of the graph for very large positive values of x.
54. '01 6b Find α so that the equation P =100 1.23( )t can be rewritten as P =100eαt .
Give your answer in decimal form.

55. '03 6a Solve log2(3x−4) = 5.

56. '04 6a Solve the following equation for x: e2x +3ex −10 = 0

57. '07 6a Solve the following equation for x: 2e2x −ex = 0

Question 7s

58. '95 7d Given that loga b = 2.75 and loga c = 0.25, find the value of :

(i) loga bc (ii) loga (bc)2

59. '00 7a The area under the curve y = 1 for 1≤ ≤x e2 is rotated about the x axis.

Find the exact volume of the solid of revolution.

− 3
60. '08 7a Solve loge x =2.
loge x
Question 8s

*61. '98 8b The diagram shows the graph of y = log2 x between x =1 and x =8. The shaded region,
bounded by y = log2 x , the line y = 3, and the x and y axes, is rotated about the y axis to
form a solid.

(i) Show that the volume of the solid is given by V e dy .

(ii) Hence find the volume of the solid.
62. '99 8a The shaded region bounded by y = ex2 , y = 7 and the y axis is rotated around the y axis to
form a solid.

∫(i) Show that the volume of the

solid is given by V = πloge y dy .
1

(ii) Copy and complete the table. Give answers correct to 3 decimal places.
y 1 4 7
loge y
(iii) Use the trapezoidal rule with 3 function values to approximate the volume V .

*63. '03 8b In the diagram, the shaded region is bounded by the y -axis, the curve y = ex and a horizontal
line l that cuts the curve at a point whose x coordinate is log 5e .
 A solid is formed by rotating the shaded region about the y -axis. Write down a definite
integral whose value is the volume of the solid. (Do NOT evaluate the integral.)

6 x
∫64. '03 8c Use Simpson’s rule with three function values to find an approximation for dx .
2 loge x
Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

Question 9s

65. '98 9a Solve ln 7( x −12) = 2ln x.

66. '00 9a (i) Without using calculus, sketch y = loge x.

(ii) On the same sketch, find graphically the number of solutions of the equation log e x − x = −2
.

67. '02 9a Consider the function y = ln(x −1) for x >1.

(i) Sketch the function, showing its essential features.
(ii) Use Simpson’s rule with three function values to find an approximation to

x dx .

loge x
*68. '04 9c Consider the function f x( ) = for x >
0. x
(i) Show that the graph of y = f x( ) has a stationary point at x e= .
(ii) By considering the gradient on either side of x e= or otherwise, show that the
stationary point is a maximum.
(iii) Use the fact that the maximum value of f x( ) occurs at x e= to deduce that ex ≥ xe for
 all x > 0.

Question 10s

*69. '04 10a (i) Use Simpson’s rule with 3 function values to find an approximation to the area under the curve

y = 1 between x a= and x = 3a , where a is positive.

x

(ii) Using the result of part (i), show that .

70. '06 10a Use Simpson’s rule with three function values to find an approximation to the

value of x dx. Give your answer correct to three decimal places.

*71. '08 10a 2

In the diagram, the shaded region is bounded by y = loge (x− ), the x-axis and the line x = 7 .

Find the exact value of the area of the shaded region.

*72. '09 Q10
Let f x( ) = x − + .
2 3
(a) Show that the graph of y = f x( ) has no turning points.
(b)
Find the point of inflexion of y = f x( ).
1
(c) (i) Show that 1− x + x2 − = x3 for x ≠ −1.
1+ x 1+ x
(ii) Let g x(
) = ln 1( + x) . Use the result of (c) (i) to show that f ′(x) ≥ g x′( ) for all x ≥ 0 .
(d) On the same set of axes, sketch the graphs of y = f x( ) and y = g x( ) for x ≥ 0 .
d
(e) Show that (1+ x)ln 1( + x) (− 1+ x) = ln 1( +
x). dx
(f) f x( ) and y = g x( ), and the straight line x =1.
Find the area enclosed by the graphs of y =
Extension 1

Question 1s

x2 x3

73. '95 1b Evaluate ydx if xy =1.

'97 1c b
Given that loga b = 2.8 and loga c = 4.1, find loga c
74.
.

*75. '97 1e Using the substitution u = 2x+1 of otherwise, find dx .

76. '98 1d Given that log 72 = 2.807 (to three decimal places), find log 142 .
d( 2
)
77. '02 1b Find 3x ln x for x > 0. dx

78. '08 1f Let f x( )= loge (x−3)(5− x) . What is the domain of f x( )?

79. '09 1b Let f x( ) = ln(x−3). What is the domain of f x( )?

80. '09 1f Using the substitution u = x3 +1 or otherwise, evaluate xe dx.

81. '10 1c Solve ln(x +6) = 2ln x.

4 ex
∫
82. '11 1d Using the
substitution u = x , evaluate
dx.
1 x

83. '11 1f What is the range of the function f x( )= ln(x2 +e) ?

Question 2s

15 dx
∫84. '96 2b Use the table of standard integrals to show that 62 = ln2. x +64

85. '99 2c Let f x( ) = x +loge x .

(i) Write down the natural domain for f x( ).

(ii) Show that, for all values of x in the natural domain, y = f x( ) is increasing.
(Rest of question can’t be done yet.)

ex
86. '01 2b(i) Find x dx .
1+e

87. '02 2a Solve 2x = 3. Express your answer correct to two decimal places.

e2 1

88. '08 2a Use the substitution u = loge x to evaluate ∫ ee2 dx . x(log x)

Question 3s

89. '09 3a Let f x( ) = 3+e2x .

4

(i) Find the range of f x( ).

(Rest of question can't be done yet.)
90. '10 3b Let f x( )= e−x2 . The diagram shows the graph y = f x( ).

(i) The graph has two points of inflexion. Find the x coordinates of these points.
(Rest of question can't be done yet.)

Question 4s

91. '95 Q4 Consider the function f x( ) = ex x .

3+e

Note that ex is always positive, and that f x( ) is defined for all real x.

(a) Show that f x( ) has no stationary points.

3ex (3−ex )

(b) Find the coordinates of the point of inflexion, given that f ′′( )x = x )3 .

(3+e (c) Show that 0 < f x( ) <1 for all x.

(d) Describe the behaviour of f x( ) for very large positive and very large negative values of x, ie.

as x→∞ and x→−∞.

(e) Sketch the curve y = f x( ).

(Rest of question can't be done yet)

2dx
∫ 92. '99 4c (i) Evaluate .
1x

dx
2

∫ (ii) Use Simpson’s

rule with 3 function
values to approximate .
1 x
(iii) Use your results to parts (i) and (ii) to obtain an approximation for e.
Give your answer correct to 3 decimal places.
*93. '11 4a Consider the function f x( ) = e−x −2e−2x .

(i) Find f ′(x) .

(ii) The graph y = f x( ) has one maximum turning point. Find the coordinates of the maximum
turning point.

(iii) Evaluate f (ln2).

(iv) Describe the behaviour of f x( ) as x→∞.

(v) Find the y intercept of the graph y = f x( ).

(vi) Sketch the graph y = f x( ) showing the features from parts (ii)-(v). You
are not required to find any points of inflexion.

Question 5s

*94. '06 5a Show that y

=10e−0.7t +3 is a
dy
solution of =
−0.7(y −3) . dt

Question 6s

*95. '02 6b Let n be a positive integer.

(i) By considering the graph of y = 1 show that 1 < ∫ dx < 1 .

nn+1

x n +1 x n

(ii) Hence deduce that 1+ 1n n

< <e 1+ 1n .
n+1

Question 7s

*96. '07 7a The graphs of the functions y = kxn and y = loge x have a common tangent at x a= , as
shown in the diagram.
 nk
(ii) Express k as a function of n by eliminating a.

Extension 2

97. '99 1a Evaluate xe x2 dx.

*98. '11 1c (i) Find real numbers a b, and c such that x2 (x1−1) = +ax xb2 + xc−1.

(ii) Hence find dx .

99. '00 3c A modern supercomputer can calculate 1000 billion (ie. 1012 basic arithmetical operations
per second. Use Stirling’s formula to estimate how many years such a computer would take
to calculate 100! basic arithmetical operations. Stirling’s formula states that n! is
1

approximately equal to 2π nn+2 e−n. Leave your answer in scientific notation.

( )= ex −e−x −
x. *100. '09 5c Let f x
2

(i) Show that f ′′(x) > 0 for all x > 0 .

(ii) Hence or otherwise show that f ′(x) > 0 for all x > 0 .
ex −e−x
(iii) Hence or otherwise show that > x for all x > 0 .
 2

*101. '09 8b Let n be a positive integer greater than 1. The area of the region under the curve y = 1 x
from x = n−1 to x n= is between the areas of two rectangles, as shown in the diagram.

Show that e n
*102. '06 Q8 (a)
Suppose that .
2
2t
(i) Show that 0 ≤ 2 ≤ 4t2.
1−t

(ii) Hence show that t2.

(iii) By integrating the expression in the inequality in part (ii) with respect to t from t = 0 to t = x

where 0 ≤ ≤x 12 , show that 0 ≤ loge 11+− xx −2x ≤ 43x3 .

1: 1+ x
(iv) Hence show that for 0 ≤ ≤x −2x 3 .
1− x

(b) For x > 0 , let f x( ) = x en −x , where n is an integer and n ≥ 2 .

 (i) The two points of inflexion of f x( ) occur at x a= and x = b , where 0 < a < b. Find a

and b in terms of n. (ii) Show that f b( ) = 1+ 1n n e−2 n ,

f a( )

1− 1n

(iii) Using the result of part (a) (iv) show that . f

a
(iv) What can be said about the ratio ? f
New Format HSC a

103. ’12 Q7 Let a = ex. Which expression is equal to loge (a2)?

(A) e2x (B) ex2 (C) 2x (D) x2

4 1
∫ 104. ’12 Q9 What is the value of dx ?
1 3x

(A) ln3 (B) (C) ln9 (D) ln12

105. ’12 11d Differentiate (3+e2x )5 .

106. ’12 12ai Differentiate with respect to x: (x −1)loge x

107. ’12 12b Find dx.

 1 e2x
∫*108. ’12 X2 11e Evaluate 0 2x +1
dx e

109. ’13 Q9 What is the solution of 5x = 4?

log 45e log 54 log 4log 5e

(A) x = (B) x = (C) x =
4
(D) x = loge 5
e e

110. ’13 11a Evaluate ln3 correct to three significant figures.

111. ’13 11d Differentiate x e2 x .

112. ’13 11e Find ∫e 4x+1 dx .

x
1 2

∫113. ’13 11f Evaluate 0 3 +1dx. x

x
114. ’13 X2 12b The equation loge y −loge (1000− y)= −log 3e implicitly defines y as a function of x. 50

Show that y satisfies the differential equation dydx = 50y 1−1000y .

Answers

1. 20.1 2. 2.08 3. 3x +ln x +c 4. 3ln x + c

5. 0.0302 6. 0.607 7. 7.3892 8. ln(x2 + +1) c

1 1 1
9. (e 12 −1) 10. ln(x2 +3)+c 11. − + ln x+c 12. ln
4 2 x
2x 1− x
13. (i) 2 (ii) x 14. y= 2x+1 15. 1 − 23ln x
x −9 e x
6
1

16. e5 − 17. ex+ 2y−(4+e2 )= 0 18. 2ln x3 + +1 c 19. x ey− = −1 e

5 5

20. 8ln2 21. 22. x(1+ 2ln x) 23. ln x +5 +c

24. 2e ex ( x +1) 25. x−2y = 2 1( −ln6) 26. ln 4( + x2)+c

27. xex (2+ x) 28. (ii) 8e2x (iii) 1+ln x 29. e3x

30. e2x (2x +1) 31. 15 32. x(1+ 2ln x) 33. xex 2
(1+ x)
34. 3ex (x+1) 35. 4ln2 36. y= 2x− 2 37. 4608ex (ex − 2)8

1 e3(e3 −1)
38. ln(x2 +5)+c 39. x(1+ 2ln x) 40. (i) (ii) ln x2 −3
3
41. (ii) 1.2425 (ii) less than
1 13
42. e4 + 2 − 44. 10
2 e2

e4 −e3 −e 2 − +e 1 units2
45. (b) x=−0.618, 1.618 (c) (i) 2 46.
e

47. 2x y+ 48. (i) 301.030 (ii) 302 49. 1.77 50. (0,2)

= 1 15
51. a , b=e 52. (i) x=1,4 (ii) 2 −8ln 2
units 2
e

53. (i) x= (ii) x< (iii) x =1; x >1

(iv)
(v) y →1+

units3
62. (ii) 0,
1.386, 1.946 (iii) 22.235 units3

54. 0.207 55. x =12 56. x= ln 2 57. x = −ln2

x = e3,
58. (i) 2.5 (ii) 6 59. 2π units2 60.
1e

Vy dy 64. 11.85 65. x= 3, 4 66. (ii) 2

67. (i) normal log graphs, shifted left by 1, so passing through origin (ii) 1.29

69. (i) units2 70. −0.044 71. (5ln5−4) units2

72. (b) 12 12, 5 (f) 1712 − 2ln 2 units 2

(d)

y f
x

y ln 1

73. ln4 74. −1.3 75. 2−ln3 76. 3.807

1(e9 −1)
77. 3x(1+ 2ln x) 78. 3<x<5 79. x>3 80.
3

81. x= 3 82. 2 e e ( −1 ) 83. y≥1 85. (i) x>0

86. ln 1( +ex )+c 87. x =1.58

89. y> 90. (i) x =± 1

91. (b) ln3, 12 (d) as x→∞, f x( ) →1− ; as x→−∞, f x( ) →0+

(e) a monotonic increasing function with asymptotes y= 0 and y =1, y -intercept = , and
inflection as in part (b).

92. (i) ln2 (ii) (iii) e ≈ 2.713

93. (i) 4e−2x −e−x (ii) 2ln 2, 18 (iii) 0 (iv) f x( ) → 0 (v) −1

 ln 2,

(vi)
1 e−1 x−1
96. (ii) k= 97. 98. (i) a=−1, b=−1, c=1 (ii) ln
1 c ne
++ 2e x x
99. 2.957 10× 138

102. (b) (i) a = −n n , b = +n n ( iv) 103. C 104. B

x−1 1 e +1
2

105. 10e2x (3+e2x )4 106. + ln x 107. 2ln(x2 + 6)+c 108. ln

x 2 2

109. C 110. 1.10 111. xex (x + 2) 112. e4x+1 +c

113. ln 2