Solve the equation \(5 \ln(4 - 3^x) = 6\). Show all necessary working and give the answer correct to 3 decimal places.
Solution
Start by dividing both sides of the equation by 5:
\(\ln(4 - 3^x) = \frac{6}{5}\).
Exponentiate both sides to remove the logarithm:
\(4 - 3^x = e^{\frac{6}{5}}\).
Calculate \(e^{\frac{6}{5}}\) to get approximately 3.3201169.
Thus, \(4 - 3^x = 3.3201169\).
Rearrange to solve for \(3^x\):
\(3^x = 4 - 3.3201169\).
\(3^x = 0.6798831\).
Take the logarithm base 3 of both sides:
\(x = \log_3(0.6798831)\).
Calculate \(x\) to get approximately \(-0.351\).
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