Chapter 1: Problem 5
Sketch a graph of the given exponential function. $$ f(x)=2^{\sqrt{x / 4}} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The graph of \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \) is an exponential curve starting at (0, 1), increasing exponentially to the right.
Step by step solution
01
Analyze the function
The given function, \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \), is an exponential function. Here, the exponential base is 2, and the exponent is \( \sqrt{x/4} \). It's critical to recognize that this modifies the typical form of an exponential function because the exponent involves a square root.
02
Determine the domain
The domain of \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \) is determined by the square root in the exponent. The expression under the square root, \( x/4 \), must be non-negative. Thus, \( x \geq 0 \). Therefore, the domain of the function is all non-negative real numbers \( [0, \infty) \).
03
Calculate key points
Evaluate the function at several key points within the domain to get an idea of the graph's shape. For example:- For \( x = 0 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{0/4}} = 2^0 = 1 \).- For \( x = 4 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{4/4}} = 2^1 = 2 \).- For \( x = 16 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{16/4}} = 2^2 = 4 \).Notice that as \( x \) increases, \( f(x) \) also increases.
04
Determine the behavior as x approaches infinity
As \( x \to \infty \), the exponent \( \sqrt{x/4} \to \infty \). Therefore, the function \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \to \infty \). This means the graph increases without bound as \( x \) goes to infinity.
05
Sketch the graph
Using the calculated key points and understanding the function's behavior:- Start at the point (0, 1) on the graph.- Plot other calculated points: (4, 2) and (16, 4).- Connect them with a smooth curve that illustrates exponential growth.- Ensure the graph is entirely right of the \( y \)-axis, starting at \( x = 0 \) since the function is not defined for negative \( x \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Domain of a Function
Understanding the domain of a function is crucial because it tells us the set of input values (i.e., the values of \( x \)) for which the function is defined. For the given exponential function \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \), the domain is influenced by two key factors:
- The expression \( \sqrt{x/4} \) must be defined, which means that \( x/4 \) must be non-negative.
- This leads to \( x \geq 0 \), because a square root can only be taken of non-negative numbers.
Graph Sketching
Graphing an exponential function like \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \) involves identifying key characteristics and plotting them on a coordinate system. Start by calculating and plotting some important points to define the shape of the graph.
- At \( x = 0 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{0/4}} = 2^0 = 1 \), so the graph begins at the point (0, 1).
- At \( x = 4 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{4/4}} = 2^1 = 2 \), which gives us the point (4, 2).
- At \( x = 16 \), \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{16/4}} = 2^2 = 4 \), resulting in the point (16, 4).
Behavior as x Approaches Infinity
The behavior of a function as \( x \to \infty \) helps us understand how it changes far out in the positive direction. For the function \( f(x) = 2^{\sqrt{x/4}} \), the expression \( \sqrt{x/4} \) increases indefinitely as \( x \) gets larger.
- Since the exponent grows, \( f(x) \) continues to rise rapidly because any base greater than 1 raised to an increasing power results in a larger number.
- Consequently, \( f(x) \to \infty \) as \( x \to \infty \).