Answer
$x \approx 1.76$
Work Step by Step
The base in the exponential equation is $5$, so take the natural logarithm on both sides to obtain
$\ln{5^x}=\ln{17}.$
Use the power rule $\ln{b^x} = x \ln{b}$ to bring the exponent to the front:
$x \ln{5} = \ln{17}.$
Divide both sides of the equation by $\ln{5}$ to obtain
$x=\dfrac{\ln{17}}{\ln{5}}.$
Use a calculator and round-off the answer to two decimal places to obtain
$x \approx 1.76.$
