To solve the equation , we will use the method of substitution. 1. Simplify the Equation First, observe that can be written as , which is equal to . The equation becomes: 2. Substitution Let . Since any exponential function with a positive base is always positive, we must have . The equation now turns into a standard quadratic: 3. Solve the Quadratic Equation We can solve this using the quadratic formula or by factoring. Looking for two numbers that multiply to and add up to , we find and : This gives us two possible values for :
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Both values are positive, so they are both valid for the next step. 4. Back-Substitution (Finding ) Now we substitute back in for : Case 1: Since , we have: Case 2: Since , we have: 5. Verification (Check) We test both solutions in the original equation . For : (Correct) For : (Correct) Final Answer: Would you like me to solve another equation from your list using this same step-by-step method?