Chapter 4: Problem 49
Evaluate \(f(x)\) at the given \(x\). Approximate each result to the nearest hundredth. $$f(x)=x^{3 / 2}-x^{1 / 2}, \quad x=50$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
\(f(50) \approx 346.48\).
Step by step solution
01
Substitute the Value of x
To evaluate the function \(f(x) = x^{3/2} - x^{1/2}\) at \(x=50\), start by substituting 50 for \(x\) in the expression.
02
Evaluate x to the Power of 3/2
Calculate \(50^{3/2}\). The power \(3/2\) can be interpreted as the square root and then the cube, so calculate \(\sqrt{50}\) first.
03
Calculate Square Root of 50
Find the square root of 50, \(\sqrt{50} \approx 7.071\).
04
Cube the Result of the Square Root
Raise the square root result to the power of 3: \((7.071)^3 \approx 353.55\).
05
Evaluate x to the Power of 1/2
Calculate \(50^{1/2}\) which is simply the square root of 50, hence: \(\sqrt{50} \approx 7.071\).
06
Subtract the Values
Subtract the value from Step 5 \(\sqrt{50} \approx 7.071\) from the value in Step 4 \((7.071)^3 \approx 353.55\): \[f(50) = 353.55 - 7.071 \approx 346.48\]
07
Round to the Nearest Hundredth
Round the result from Step 6 to the nearest hundredth: \[f(50) \approx 346.48\].
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Exponentiation
Exponentiation is a mathematical operation that involves raising a number to a power. In this exercise, you encountered the expression \( x^{3/2} \), which can be a little tricky to understand without breaking it down. Here's a simple explanation:
- The base, in this case 50, is the number that is being multiplied by itself.
- The exponent 3/2 is a fraction, meaning we first find the root of the base and then raise the result to an integer power.
- To solve \( 50^{3/2} \), we can think of it as \( (50^{1/2})^3 \), which means we first find the square root of 50 and then cube that result.
Square Root
The square root of a number is one of its two equal factors. When you see \( x^{1/2} \), you're being asked to find the square root of \( x \). In our exercise, this was part of the process:
- We had to calculate \( \sqrt{50} \) to evaluate \( 50^{1/2} \) and also to work towards \( 50^{3/2} \).
- Square roots come up often in areas like geometry, physics, and statistics, making it a valuable concept to understand.
- Numerically approximating square roots like \( \sqrt{50} \approx 7.071 \) is common in real-world applications where exact calculations are impractical.
Algebraic Expressions
Algebraic expressions are combinations of numbers, variables, and arithmetic operations. The function given in the exercise, \( f(x) = x^{3/2} - x^{1/2} \), is an algebraic expression because it includes exponents, a variable \( x \), and subtraction.
- First, substitute the specific value for the variable. In our exercise, we plugged \( x = 50 \) into the expression.
- Next, each part of the expression is evaluated separately before any addition or subtraction. This means finding \( x^{3/2} \) and \( x^{1/2} \) individually for \( x=50 \).
- Finally, solve the expression by performing the subtraction: \( 353.55 - 7.071 = 346.48 \), which was the function evaluation at \( x = 50 \).