Final answer:
To solve the exponential equation 7ˣ = 49, rewrite both sides as powers of the base 7 and equate the exponents. The correct answer is x = 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the exponential equation 7ˣ = 49, we can express both sides as powers of the base 7. For example, 49 can be written as 7². Therefore, we can rewrite the equation as 7ˣ = 7².
Next, we can equate the exponents by setting 7ˣ equal to 7². Since the bases are the same, the exponents must be equal, so x = 2. Therefore, the correct answer is b) x = 2.