Logarithms

Definition The logarithm of a number to a particular base is the power (or index) to which that base
must be raised to obtain the number.

This means that a logarithm is an index.

Index or logarithm

The number 8 written in index form is 8 = 23

base

The equation can be rewritten in

logarithm form as log 2 8 = 3
Index or logarithm
base

The logarithm statement reads

the logarithm of 8, to the base 2 is 3

and is equivalent to the index statement

8 equals 2 to the power 3
or 2 to the power 3 equals 8.

In general
ax = n log an = x (follow the arrows and read a x = n ) ( a 〉 0)

Examples 1. Change the following from index form to logarithm form.

(a) 103 = 1000

using the expression above a = 10, x =3, n =1000 so

103 = 1000 ⇒ log101000 = 3

1
(b) 2-5 =
32
1
using the expression above a = 2, x = –5, n = so
32
1 1
2-5 = ⇒ log 2 = −5
32 32

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 1
2
(c) 16 = 4
1
using the expression above a = 16, x = , n =4
2
1
1
16 2 = 4 ⇒ log16 4 =
2

2. Change the following from logarithm form to index form .

(a) log 2 16 = 4

the base is 2, the number is 16, the index is 4

so log 2 16 = 4 ⇒ 24 = 16 (follow the arrows and read 2 4 = 16 )

(b) log10 10 = 1

the base is 10, the number is 10, the index is 1

so log10 10 = 1 ⇒ 101 = 10

1
(c) log 3   = −4
 81 
1
the base is 3, the number is , the index is – 4
81
1 1
log 3   = − 4 ⇒ 3−4 =
 81  81

Note 1. log a 1 = 0 The logarithm of 1 to any base is 0.

2 log a a = 1 The logarithm of a number to the same base is 1.

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Exercise 1 Write in logarithm form

(a) 32 = 9 (b) 10 4 = 10 000

1
(c) 64 2 = 8 (d) 10−2 = 0.01
(e) x5 = y (f) z 0 = 1

Exercise 2 Write in index form

(a) log10 100 = 2 (b) log 2 32 = 5

(c) log10 0.001 = −3 (d) log 4 x = 3
(e) log 3 9 = x (f) log a a = 1

Evaluating To evaluate a logarithm:

logarithms 1. write the number in index form, with same base as the logarithm
2. use the definition of a logarithm to evaluate.

Examples (1) Evaluate log 5 125

125 = 53 125 in index form with base 5. The logarithm is 3.
∴ log 5 125 = 3 equivalent logarithm statement

(2) Evaluate log10 0.0001

0.0001 = 10– 4 0.0001 in index form with base 10. The logarithm is – 4.
∴ log10 0.0001 = −4 equivalent logarithm statement

Exercise 3 Without using a calculator, evaluate the following:

(a) log 7 49 (b) log10 10

(c) log 2 128 (d) log10 100 000

1
(e) log 5 1 (f) log 3
27

(g) log10 0.001

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Solving Equations of the type log a x = b and log x a = b can be solved for x by rewriting the
equations equation in index form.
(1)
Examples Solve the following for x.

(1) log 2 x = 5
log 2 x = 5 ⇒ 25 = x
therefore x = 32

(2) log x 64 = 3
log x 64 = 3 ⇒ x3 = 64
x 3 = 43 equate bases
therefore x = 4

Exercise 4 Solve the following equations for the unknown

(a) log 3 x = 4 (b) log10 x = −3
1 (d) log y 36 = 2
(c) log a 4 =
2  1  −2
(e) log x 27 = 3 (f) log x   =
9 3

Logarithm
laws The logarithm laws are obtained from the index laws and are:
log a x + log a y = lo g a xy eg . log 2 5 + log 2 3 = log 2 (5 × 3)
= log 2 15

x 12
log a x − log a y = log a eg . log10 12 − log10 3 = log10
y 3
= log 2 4

log a x y = y log a x eg . log 3 7 4 = 4 log 3 7

1 1
log a = − log a x eg . log a = − log a 10
x 10

log a 1 = 0 eg . log10 1 = 0

log a a = 1 eg . log 5 5 = 1

a log a x = x eg . 10log10 4 = 4
Note: It is not possible to have the logarithm of a negative number.
Only logarithms with the same base can be simplified using log laws.

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Examples Express the following as a single logarithm.
(Remember the logarithms must have the same base if they are to be added
or subtracted).

(1) log 3 5 + log 3 20 − log 3 10 Use the laws for adding and subtracting
logarithms.
log 3 5 + log 3 20 − log 3 10
= log 3 ( 5 × 20 ) − log 3 10
 5 × 20 
= log 3  
 10 
= log 3 10

(2) log 2 5 + 3 log 2 3 − 2 log 2 6 3log 2 3 and 2 log 2 6 must be written as

log 2 33 and log 2 62 before using addition
and subtraction laws.
log 2 5 + 3log 2 3 − 2 log 2 6
= log 2 5 + log 2 33 − log 2 62
F 5× 3 I 3

GH 6 JK
= log 2 2

F 15I
= log G J
H 4K
2

(3) Simplify and evaluate

1
log10 36 − log10 15 + 2 log10 5
2
1
= log10 36 − log10 15 + log10 52
2
write each term in the form log10 ( )
= log10 6 − log10 15 + log10 25 use laws for adding and subtracting
logarithms
6 × 25
= log10
15
= log10 10
=1

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Exercise 5 Express as a single logarithm and evaluate, if possible, without using a calculator .

(a) log 4 8 + log 4 3 − log 4 2 2

(b) log 2 5 + 2 log 2 4 + log 2
5
(c)
1
log10 50 − log10 4 + 2 log10 3 3
(d) log10 40 − log10 15 + 2 log10  
2 5
3
(e) log a 4 + 2 log a 3 − 2 log a 6 (f) log e 2e + 2 log e 3 − log e 18

Solving Logarithms can be used to solve indicial equations of the form a x = b.

equations
(2)
We solve these equations by taking logarithms of both sides. By taking the
logarithms to the base 10 or the base e (Euler’s number), we can use a calculator to
evaluate logarithms. Logarithms to the base e are often called natural logarithms.

On the calculator use the log button to evaluate logarithms to the base 10 and the ln
button to evaluate logarithms to the base e.

Examples Solve for x giving your answer to three decimal places.

(a) 3x = 7
Take logarithms of both sides.
log 3x = log 7
x log 3 = log 7 Use log a x y = y log a x
log 7
x=
log 3
x = 1.771

(b) 2 × 5 x+1 = 15 Divide both sides by 2

5 x +1 = 7.5
Take logarithms of both sides
ln 5 x +1 = ln 7.5
( x + 1) ln 5 = ln 7.5 Use ln x y = y ln x
ln 7.5
( x + 1) = = 1.252
ln 5
x = 0.252

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 (c) 6 x −1 = 3x
Take logarithms of both sides
log 6 x −1 = log 3x
Use log a x y = y log a x
( x − 1) log 6 = x log 3
x log 6 − log 6 = x log 3
x ( log 6 − log 3) = log 6
log 6 − log 3
x=
log 6
x = 0.387

Exercise 6 Solve for the unknown, giving your answer to three decimal places.

(a) 5 x = 12 (b) 2 x−3 = 9

−
x
FG 1 IJ − 1 = 2.5
x
(c) 3 × e 2 = 0.015 (d)
H 2K
(e) 4 x +1 = 5x (f) 2d3 i − 1 = 3
1− 2 x

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Answers
Exercise 1 1
(a) log 3 9 = 2 (b) log10 10000 = 4 (c) log 64 8 = (d) log10 0.01 = −2
2

(e) log x y = 5 (f) log z 1 = 0

Exercise 2 (a) 10 2 = 100 (b) 25 = 32 (c) 10−3 = 0.001 (d) 43 = x

(e) 3x = 9 (f) a1 = a

Exercise 3 1
(a) 2 (b) (c) 7 (d) 5
2
(e) 0 (f) − 3 (g) − 3

Exercise 4 (a) x = 81 (b) x = 0.001 (c) a = 16 (d) y = 6

(e) x = 3 (f) x = 27

45 2 24
Exercise 5 (a) log 4 12 (b) 5 (c) log10 (d) log10
4 25
(e) 0 (f) 3

Exercise 6 (a) x = 1.544 (b) x = 6.170 (c) x = 10.597 (d) x = – 1.807

(e) x = 6.21 (f) x = 0.185

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