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AQA A2 Specification
Candidates will be able to: use logarithmic plots to test exponential and power law variations. sketch simple functions including y = e k x.
y=kxn
where k and n are constants.
An example is the distance, s travelled after time, t when an object is undergoing acceleration, a. s = at 2 s = y; t = x; 2 = n; a = k
gradient = k xn
Common examples
power, n = 1: direct proportion relationship: y = k x prove by plotting y against x power, n = 2: square relationship: y = k x2 plot y against x2 power, n = 3: cube relationship: y = k x3 plot y against x3 power, n = : square root relationship: y = k x = k x plot y against x power, n = - 1: inverse proportion relationship: y = k x -1 = k / x plot y against 1 / x power, n = - 2: inverse square relationship: y = k x -2 = k / x2 plot y against 1 / x2 In all these cases the graphs should be straight lines through the origin having gradients equal to k.
Question
Quantity P is thought to be related to quantities Q, R and T by the following equation: P = 2 Q R 2 T3 What graphs should be plotted to confirm the relationships between P and the other quantities? State in each case the value of the gradient.
(a) P and Q : P = k Q - Plot P against Q gradient (k) = 2 R 2 / T 3 (b) P and R : P = k R2 - Plot P against R 2 gradient (k) = 2 Q / T 3 (c) P and T : P = k / T 3 - Plot P against 1 / T 3 gradient (k) = 2 Q R 2
When n is unknown
EITHER - Trial and error Find out what graph yields a straight line. This could take a long time!
OR - Plot a log (y) against log (x) graph. Gradient = n y-intercept = log (k)
Logarithms
Consider:
10 = 10 1 5 = 10 0.699 2 = 10 0.301
In all cases above the power of 10 is said to be the LOGARITHM of the left hand number to the BASE OF 10
For example: log10(100) = 2 log10(50) = 1.699 etc.. (on a calculator use the lg button)
Natural Logarithms
Logarithms can have any base number but in practice the only other number used is 2.718281, Napiers constant e.
Examples: loge(100) = 4.605 loge(50) = 3.912 etc.. (on a calculator use the ln button)
log B(Bn) = n
Example: log10 (10 3) = log10 (1000) = 3 The most important example of this is:
log (y) = n log (x) + log (k) This has the form of the equation of a straight line: y = mx + c where: y = log (y) x = log (x) m = the gradient = the power n c = the y-intercept = log (k)
Question
Dependent variable P was measured for various values of independent variable Q. They are suspected to be related through a power law equation: P = k Q n where k and n are constants. Use the measurements below to plot a log-log graph and from this graph find the values of k and n.
Q P log 10 (Q) log 10 (P) 1.0 2.00 0.000 0.301 2.0 16.0 0.301 1.204 3.0 54.0 0.477 1.732 4.0 128 0.602 2.107 5.0 250 0.699 2.398 6.0 432 0.778 2.635
Gradient = 3.0 Y-intercept = 0.301 = log (k) Therefore n = 3.0 and k = 2.0 The equation relating P and Q could now be written: P = 2 Q 3
Exponential decay
This is how decay occurs in nature. Examples include radioactive decay and the loss of electric charge on a capacitor. The graph opposite shows how the mass of a radioactive isotope falls over time.
x = xo e - t
where: t is the time from some initial starting point x is the value of the decaying variable at time t xo is the initial value of x when t = 0 e is Napiers constant 2.718 is called the decay constant.
It is equal to the fraction of x that decays in a unit time. The higher this constant the faster the decay proceeds.
In the radioisotope example: t = the time in minutes. x = the mass in grams of the isotope remaining at this time xo = 100 grams (the starting mass) e = Napiers constant 2.718 = the decay constant is equal to the fraction of the isotope that decays over each unit time period (1 minute in this case). About 0.11 min-1 in this example.
ln (x) = - t + ln (xo ) This has the form of the equation of a straight line: y = mx + c with: y = ln (x) x=t m, the gradient = the negative of the decay constant =- c, the y-intercept = ln (xo )
Question
The marks M of a student are suspected to decay exponentially with time t. They are suspected to be related through the equation: M = Mo e k t. Use the data below to plot a graph of ln(M) against t and so verify the above statement. Also determine the students initial mark Mo (t = 0 weeks) and the decay constant k, of the marks. t t // weeks weeks M M ln (M) (M) ln 1 72 4.28 2 59 4.08 3 48 3.88 4 40 3.68
5
32 3.48
6
27 3.28
The graph is a straight line of negative gradient exponential decay confirmed. Gradient = - 0.2 = - k Y-intercept = 4.48 = ln (Mo) Therefore the initial mark, Mo at week 0 = 88 and k = 0.2 The equation relating M and t could now be written: M = 88 e 0.2 t Note: k being 0.2 means that the students mark declined by a fraction of 0.2 (or 1/5th) each week.
Internet Links
Equation Grapher - PhET - Learn about graphing polynomials. The shape of the curve changes as the constants are adjusted. View the curves for the individual terms (e.g. y=bx ) to see how they add to generate the polynomial curve. Radioactive decay law - half-life graph - NTNU Radioactive decay and half-life - eChalk Half-life with graph - Fendt Half-life with graph - 7stones Circuit Construction AC + DC - PhET - This new version of the CCK adds capacitors, inductors and AC voltage sources to your toolbox! Now you can graph the current and voltage as a function of time. RC circuit - charging and discharging - netfirms RC circuit - charging & discharging - NTNU Charging and discharging a capacitor CapacitorChargeDemo - Crocodile Clip Presentation