Answer:
x-intercept = 0.956
Step-by-step explanation:
You have the function f(x) given by:
(1)
Furthermore you have that at the point (a,f(a)) the tangent line to that point has a slope of -1.
You first derivative the function f(x):
(2)
To solve this derivative you use the following derivative formula:
![\frac{d}{dx}b^u=b^ulnb\frac{du}{dx}](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7Bd%7D%7Bdx%7Db%5Eu%3Db%5Eulnb%5Cfrac%7Bdu%7D%7Bdx%7D)
For the derivative in (2) you have that b=2 and u=2x. You use the last expression in (2) and you obtain:
![\frac{d}{dx}[2^{-2x}]=2^{-2x}(ln2)(-2)](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7Bd%7D%7Bdx%7D%5B2%5E%7B-2x%7D%5D%3D2%5E%7B-2x%7D%28ln2%29%28-2%29)
You equal the last result to the value of the slope of the tangent line, because the derivative of a function is also its slope.
![-2(ln2)2^{-2x}=-1](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=-2%28ln2%292%5E%7B-2x%7D%3D-1)
Next, from the last equation you can calculate the value of "a", by doing x=a. Furhtermore, by applying properties of logarithms you obtain:
![-2(ln2)2^{-2a}=-1 \\\\2^{2a}=2(ln2)=1.386\\\\log_22^{2a}=log_2(1.386)\\\\2a=\frac{log(1.386)}{log(2)}\\\\a=0.235](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=-2%28ln2%292%5E%7B-2a%7D%3D-1%20%5C%5C%5C%5C2%5E%7B2a%7D%3D2%28ln2%29%3D1.386%5C%5C%5C%5Clog_22%5E%7B2a%7D%3Dlog_2%281.386%29%5C%5C%5C%5C2a%3D%5Cfrac%7Blog%281.386%29%7D%7Blog%282%29%7D%5C%5C%5C%5Ca%3D0.235)
With this value you calculate f(a):
![f(a)=\frac{1}{2^{2(0.235)}}=0.721](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=f%28a%29%3D%5Cfrac%7B1%7D%7B2%5E%7B2%280.235%29%7D%7D%3D0.721)
Next, you use the general equation of line:
![y-y_o=m(x-x_o)](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=y-y_o%3Dm%28x-x_o%29)
for xo = a = 0.235 and yo = f(a) = 0.721:
![y-0.721=(-1)(x-0.235)\\\\y=-x+0.956](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=y-0.721%3D%28-1%29%28x-0.235%29%5C%5C%5C%5Cy%3D-x%2B0.956)
The last is the equation of the tangent line at the point (a,f(a)).
Finally, to find the x-intercept you equal the function y to zero and calculate x:
![0=-x+0.956\\\\x=0.956](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=0%3D-x%2B0.956%5C%5C%5C%5Cx%3D0.956)
hence, the x-intercept of the tangent line is 0.956