LOGARITHMS

If a number (b) is expressed as the exponent c of a number (a), i.e. , b = a c (a  0, a  1) , we say that c is
the logarithm of b to the base a. We write this as a
log b = c , sometimes as log a b = c .

In general: b = ac  a
log b = c , a  0, a  0

For example, 100 = 10 2  10

log 100 = 2 or log 100 = 2
1 1
= 2 −3  2
log = −3
8 8

Exercise:
1. Convert the following to logarithm form:
1
a. 3 4 = 81 b. 7 − 2 = c. p q = r
49

2. Convert the following to exponential form:

a. 2 log 32 = 5 b. 3 log 9 = 2 c. p log q = r

3. Find the value of each of the following:

1
a. 2 log 64 b. 2
log 4 c. 3 log 1 d. 7
log 7
e. 8 log 0,25 f. 3 log( −9) g. 81
log 9 h. 2 2
log 32

1 2 x
log 5 − 1
4. Find x: a. x
log 64 = 1 b. =1
5
5 − x
log 5

Note: a. logarithms of a positive number may be negative

b. logarithms of 1 to any base is 0 i.e. a log 1 = 0
c. logarithms of a number to base of the same number is 1 i.e. a
log a = 1
d. logarithms of negative numbers are not defined, for example log( −4) 2

e. the base of a logarithm cannot be negative, 0 or 1. Can you think of why this is so ?

Laws of logarithms:

a
1. a log b
= b

( )
an m
log b
2. a m = bn

a
3. log b + a log c = a log b.c
b
4. a
log b − a
log c = a
log
c

5. a
log b n = n a
log b
m
6. a
log b n = n a
m
log b

5. Prove laws of logarithms no. 1 – 6.

6. Find the value of each the following:

4 5 3 125 2
log 25 log 2 log 4 log 6 log 8
a. 4 b. 5 c. 9 d. 25 e. 8
( 3) ( ) (81 3 ) ( )
27 625 9 8
log 5 2
log 10 log 7 log 12 log 6
1
f. g. 4 h. 5 5 i. j. 4
2

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 7. Simplify and evaluate:
2 2 2
a. log 25 + log 4 b. 4
log 200 − 4
log 25 c. 5
log 5 + 5
log 8 − 5
log 250
1 1
d. 2 log 2 + 2 log 3 + log 5 + log 7 – log 9 + log 10 + log 5.3 25 - log 49
3 2

e. 3 log 5 + 3
log 7 + 1 3
3
. log 9 − 3
log 10 − 3
log 14 + 1 3
2
. log 144

8. Expand to a single logarithm:

 x. y   y
a. 3 log  2 
 z 
b. log  x 3 .5 
 z 
 x2 − y2
c. log  2
 x + y2



(
d. 4 log x 3 + x 2 . y )
    

9. Given that log 2 = 0,3010 dan log 3 = 0,4771, find

4 5
a. log 0,002 b. log 3000 c. log 6000 d. log 15 e. log f. log g. log 3.3 6
3 24

10. Evaluate:
3
9 6 log 2
8. log 512 log 2 2 − log 2 5
a. 27 log 4
+ b. c.
2
3
log 2 3. log 2 + log 16 + 5. log 4 − 5 log 8 log 0,4

x
11. a. If a
log   = m , find a
log 6
x2 : y2 .
 y

b. If b
log 3 y : x = n , find b
log 5
(x : y )3

Common Mistakes
a a a
(a) log bc  log b. log c
a b a log b
(b) log 
c a log c
a
(c) log b + a log x  a log( b + x)
a
(d) log( b  c)  a log b  a log c

(e) (a log b)n  n.a log b

Laws of logarithms:

p
log b
7. a
log b = p
log a

8. a
log b b
log c = a
log c
an
9. a
log b = log b n
1
10. a
log b = b
log a

12. Simplify:

( )
a
log b 4
2 5 3  b 2 c
log d 3 
a. log 27 log 64 log 15 b.  a log c 
 

13. Evaluate:
1 1 1 1
a. 1 + 18
b. 1
+ log −1 25 +
2
log 81 log 81 4
log 25 2
2 log 5

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 ( ) log 10 − 5 log 3+ 25 log 8 + 25 log 18 −1
5

14. Simplify: 25 5 .

15. a. If 27
log 5 = p , find 243
log 5 5 .
b. Given log 8 = p , find
5 0, 2
log 0,125 .
c. Given 25
log 27 = a , find log 5 . 9

d. If 16
log 27 = m , find 3
log 8 .
e. Given 4
log 5 = a , find 0,1
log 1,25 .

16. Given 4 log 3 = a , express the following in a:

16
a. 2
log 3 b. 8 log 81 c. log 19

17. Given p
log 5 = a, p
log 30 = b and p
log 1
2
= c . Express the following in a, b or c.
p p p
a. log 1 12 b. log 10 c. log 36

18. Given 6 log 30 = m and 6 log 20 = n . Express 6 log 3 in m or n.

2 log 3
19. Simplify .
5
log 9 − log 9

20. If 3 log 5 = a and 25

log 8 = b , find 15
log 750 .

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