Calculus with Applications (10th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321749006
ISBN 13: 978-0-32174-900-0

Chapter 5 - Graphs and the Derivative - 5.2 Relative Extrema - 5.2 Exercises - Page 272: 33

Answer

$$ f(x) =\frac{2^{x}}{x} $$ A relative minimum occurs at $x=\frac{1}{\ln 2 } \approx 1.44 $ and the value of the function $f$ at this value is given by: $$ \begin{aligned} f(1.44 ) &=\frac{2^{(1.44 )}}{(1.44 )} \\ &=1.884 \\ \end{aligned} $$

Work Step by Step

$$ f(x) =\frac{2^{x}}{x} $$ To find the intervals where the function is increasing and decreasing. First, we find $f^{\prime}(x) $, $$ \begin{aligned} f^{\prime}(x) &=\frac{(x) \ln 2\left(2^{x}\right)-2^{x}(1)}{x^{2}} \\ &=\frac{2^{x}(x \ln 2-1)}{x^{2}} \end{aligned} $$ To find the critical numbers, we first find any values of $x$ that make $f^{\prime} =0 $. Now, solve the equation $f^{\prime} =0 $ to get $$ \begin{aligned} f^{\prime}(x) =\frac{2^{x}(x \ln 2-1)}{x^{2}} &=0\\ \Rightarrow\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\\ x \ln 2-1&=0\\ \Rightarrow\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\\ x \ln 2 & =1 \\ x & =\frac{1}{\ln 2 } \approx 1.44 \\ \end{aligned} $$ Next, we find any values of $x$ where $f^{\prime}(x) $ fails to exist. This occurs whenever the denominator of $f^{\prime}(x) $ is $0$, here we observe that the denominator $x^{2}$ equal to 0, when $x=0$. But $f(x) $ is not defined also at $x=0 $. So, The only critical number is : $x =\frac{1}{\ln 2 } \approx 1.44 $. We can still apply the first derivative test, however, to find where $f$ is increasing and decreasing. Now, check the sign of $f^{\prime}(x)$. in the intervals $$ (-\infty, 1.44 ), \quad\quad (1.44 , \infty ) . $$ (1) Test a number in the interval $(-\infty, 1.44 )$ say $1$: $$ \begin{aligned} f^{\prime}(1) &=\frac{2^{(1)}((1) \ln 2-1)}{(1)^{2}}\\ &=2\left(\ln \left(2\right)-1\right) \\ &\approx -0.6137\\ &\lt 0 \end{aligned} $$ we see that $f^{\prime}(x)$ is negative in that interval, so $f(x)$ is decreasing on $(-\infty , 1.44 )$. (2) Test a number in the interval $(1.44 , \infty )$ say $2$: $$ \begin{aligned} f^{\prime}(2) &=\frac{2^{(2)}((2) \ln 2-1)}{(2)^{2}}\\ &=2\ln \left(2\right)-1 \\ &\approx 0.386\\ &\gt 0 \end{aligned} $$ we see that $f^{\prime}(x)$ is positive in that interval, so $f(x)$ is increasing on $(1.44 , \infty )$. From (1), (2) we find that: The function $f$ is decreasing on interval $ ( -\infty ,1.44) , $ and it is increasing on interval $ (1.44 ,\infty ) . $ So, a relative minimum occurs at $x=1.44 $ and the value of the function $f$ at this value is given by: $$ \begin{aligned} f(1.44 ) &=\frac{2^{(1.44 )}}{(1.44 )} \\ &=1.884 \\ \end{aligned} $$
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