Chapter 9: Problem 9
$$ f(x)=3^{5 x} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
Evaluate the function \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \) by substituting the value of \( x \) in the exponent.
Step by step solution
01
- Understand the Function
The given function is an exponential function of the form \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \).
02
- Identify the Base and the Exponent
In the function \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \), the base is 3 and the exponent is \( 5x \).
03
- Evaluate the Function at Given Points
To understand the behavior of the function, evaluate it at certain points. For example, when \( x = 0 \): \( f(0) = 3^{5 \times 0} = 3^0 = 1 \).
04
- General Evaluation
To evaluate the function at any general point \( x \), simply plug in \( x \) into the exponent part of the function. For example:\( f(2) = 3^{5 \times 2} = 3^{10} \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Base
The base of an exponential function is a crucial element that defines the overall behavior of the function. In the exponential function given, \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \), the base is 3. The base is the number that is raised to the power of the exponent. Here are some important points about the base:
- The base must be a positive real number if we are dealing with real-valued functions.
- A base greater than 1, like 3 in our given function, indicates exponential growth. The function values increase rapidly as the exponent increases.
- If the base were between 0 and 1, it would indicate exponential decay, where the function values decrease rapidly.
- When the base is exactly 1, the function becomes constant because any power of 1 is always 1.
Exponent
In an exponential function, the exponent determines the rate at which the function grows or decays. For the given function \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \), the exponent is \( 5x \). This part of the function deserves special attention for several reasons:
- Unlike the base, which is constant, the exponent can be a variable expression, here it's \( 5x \).
- The higher the exponent, the faster the function value will rise or fall. Since the exponent in our case is 5 times the variable \( x \), small changes in \( x \) can result in very large changes in \( f(x) \).
- If the exponent is negative, it will make the base a reciprocal. For example, if \( x = -1 \), then \( 5x = -5 \) and the function becomes \( f(-1) = 3^{-5} = \frac{1}{3^5} \).
- If the exponent is zero, then any non-zero base raised to the power of zero equals 1.
Function Evaluation
Evaluating an exponential function means finding its value when the input variable \( x \) is given specific values. For our function \( f(x) = 3^{5x} \), here's how you can evaluate it step-by-step:
- Step 1: Identify the input value for \( x \). For example, let’s take \( x = 2 \).
- Step 2: Substitute \( x \) into the exponent. This gives us \( f(2) = 3^{5 \times 2} = 3^{10} \).
- Step 3: Compute the result. Here, \( 3^{10} \) is a large number, specifically 59,049. Notice how quickly the function values ramp up due to the exponential nature.