Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are standing before a complex, winding path on a graph defined by the differential equation:
We are given that this curve passes through two specific points: (0,5) and (ln2,k). Our mission is to determine the value of k.
The Great Separation
The first step is to bring order to the chaos by separating the variables. We rearrange the equation to group all x terms with dx and all y terms with dy:
Dividing both sides to isolate the variables, we obtain:
The Art of Integration
Now, we apply the integral operator to both sides of the equation:
The right side integrates to ln∣y+3∣. For the left side, we use the substitution u=7+e2x, which implies du=2e2xdx.
This transforms the integral into ∫u1du, resulting in ln∣u∣. Substituting back, we arrive at the general solution:
Finding the Anchor
To find the specific curve, we use the anchor point (0,5). Substituting x=0 and y=5 into our general solution:
Since e0=1, this simplifies to ln(8)=ln(8)+C, which yields C=0. Consequently, the specific equation of the curve is:
By removing the natural logarithms, we simplify this to 7+e2x=y+3, or:
The Final Destination
We now find k at the point (ln2,k) by substituting x=ln2 into our specific curve equation:
Using the logarithmic property 2ln2=ln(22)=ln4, we get:
Since e and ln are inverse functions, eln4=4. Therefore, the final value is:
k=4+4=8