Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2013

Algebra Difficulty 1.4 Junior Find the answer Canada

If 512x=64240512^x = 64^{240}, then xx equals

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Solution

We note that 64=2664=2^6 and 512=29512=2^9.

Therefore, the equation 512x=64240512^x = 64^{240} can be rewritten as (29)x=(26)240(2^9)^x = (2^6)^{240} or 29x=26(240)2^{9x}=2^{6(240)}.

Since the bases in this last equation are equal, then the exponents are equal, so 9x=6(240)9x = 6(240) or x=14409=160x = \frac{1440}{9}=160.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.