Algebra Precalculus – How to Solve $5^{x + 1} = 3^{x + 2}$

algebra-precalculus

Solve $5^{x + 1} = 3^{x + 2}$.

I got this far, but I'm not sure how to continue:

\begin{align}
5^{x + 1} &= 3^{x + 2} \\
(5^x)(5^1) &= (3^x)(3^2) \\
5(5^x) &= 9(3^x)
\end{align}

Where do I go from here?

Best Answer

Your equation is equivalent to $$\left(\frac{5}{3}\right)^x = \frac{9}{5}$$ Therefore, $x = \text{log}_{\frac{5}{3}} \frac{9}{5}$.