LOGARITHMS

LOGARITHM: If a is a positive real number, other than 1 and ax = m then x is called the logarithms of m
to the base a, written as loga m.
Thus, ax = m x = loga m.
Ex. (i) 23 = 8  log2 8 = 3. (ii) 102 = 100  log10 100 = 2.
1
(iii) 34 = 81  lo3 81 = 4. (iv) 91/2 = 3  log9 3 = .
2
1
(v) 271/3 = 3  log27 3 = .
3
PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS:
Theorem 1. loga(mn) = (loga m + loga n),
i.e., log of product = sum of logs.
Proof. Let loga m = x and loga n = y.
Then, ax = m and ay = n
 mn = ax × ay = ax + y  loga mn = (x + y) = loga m + loga n.
Hence, loga mn = (loga m + loga n).
m
Theorem 2. log a    (log a m  log a n) .
n
i.e. log of quotient = difference of logs.
Proof. Let loga m = x and loga n = y.
Then, ax = m and ay = n
m ax m
  y  a x  y  log a    ( x  y )  (log a m  log a n) .
n a n
m
 log a    (log a m  log a n) .
n
Theorem 3. loga(mk) = k(loga m).
Proof. Let loga m = x.
Then, ax = m  mk = (ax)k = axk = akx
 loga (mk) =kx = k(loga m).
 loga = (mk)= k (loga m).
Theorem 4. loga 1 = 0.
Proof. Let loga 1 = x.
Then, ax = 1 = ao  x = 0.
 loga 1 = 0
Theorem 5. loga a = 1
Proof. a1 = a  loga a = 1.
 log b m 
Theorem 6. (Rule of change of Base): log a m   
 log b a 
Proof. Let loga m = x.
Then, ax = m
 logb (ax) = logb m [Taking log to the base b]
 x logb a = logb m
 (loga m) (logb a) = logb m [ x  log a m]
  log b m 
 log a m    .
 log b a 
1
COROLLARY: log a m  . i.e. (loga m) (logm a) = 1.
log m a
Proof. Replacing b by m in the preceding theorem, we get
 log m m  1
log a m     . [ log m m  1]
 log m a  log m a
Ex. 1 Show that:
(i) 3 log 2 + log 5 = log 40;
50
(ii) log 2 + 2 log 5 – log 3 – 2 log 7 = log ;
147
9   35   15 
(iii) log   log   log   0 ;
14
  24
   16 
 16   25   81 
(iv) 7 log   5 log    3 log    log 2 .
 15   24   80 
3
Sol. (i) 3 log 2 + log 5 = log 2 + log 5
= log 8 + log 5
= log (8 × 5) = log 40.
(ii) log 2 + 2 log 5 – log 3 – 2 log 7
= log 2 + log 52 – log 3 – log 72
= (log 2 + log 25) – (log 3 + log 49)
= log (2 × 25) – log (3 × 49)
= log 50 – log 147
 50 
= log  .
 147 
9  35   15 
(iii) log   log   log 
 14   24   16 
 9 35   15 
 log    log  .
 14 24   16 
 15   15 
= log   log   0 .
 16   16 
 16   25   81 
(iv) 7 log   5 log    3 log 
 15   24   80 
7 5 3
 16   25   81 
 log   log   log 
 15   24   80 
 16   25   81  
7 5 3
 log         
 15   24   80  
 2 4  7  52  5  34  3 
 log       
 3  5   23  3   2 4  5  
 
 2 28 510 312 
 log  7 7  15 5  12 3 
3  5 2  3 2  5 
  
 log 2( 281512)  5(1073)  3(1275)
= log [21 × 5o × 3o] = log [2 × 1 × 1] = log 2.
Ex. 2 Evaluate:
log 32 log 27
(i) (ii) .
log 4 log 9
log 32 log 25 5 log 2 5
Sol. (i)    .
log 4 log 2 2 2 2 log 2 2
log 27 log 33 3 log 3 3
(ii)  2
  .
log 9 log 3 2 2 log 3 2
STANDARD FORM OF DECIMAL:
Any number in decimal form can be expressed as the product of a number between 1 and 10 and an
integral power of 10.
The decimal number in this form is said to be in standard form.
27.3
Ex. (i) 27.3   10  2.73  101 .
10
1065.7
(ii) 1065.7   10 3  1.0657  10 3
1000
9
(iii) .09   9  10 2 .
100
.00037  10000 3.7
(iv) .00037   4  3.7  10 4 .
10000 10
THE CHARACTERISTIC & MANTISSA OF A LOGARITHM:
The logarithm of a number consists of two parts; the integral part is known as the characteristic and
the decimal part is called the mantissa.
The mantissa is always taken as positive while the characteristic may be positive or negative.
When the characteristic is negative, it will be represented by putting a bar on the digit. Thus, instead
of –2, we write 2 .
Remark. 2.7386 would mean (–2 + 0.7386).
TO FIND THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A NUMBER:
Write the number in the standard form. Let it be m × 10p. Then, the characteristic is p.
Another method:
(i) The characteristic of a number greater than or equal to 1 is 1 less than the number of digits to the left
of the decimal point in the given number.
(ii) The characteristic of a number less than 1 is a negative number whose numerical value is one more
than the number of zeros between the decimal point and the first significant figure of the number.
Ex.
Number Standard Form Characteristic
5376.4 5.3764 × 103 3
537.64 5.3764 × 102 2
53.764 5.3764 × 101 1
5.3764 5.3764 × 100 0
0.5376 5.376 × 10–1 1
0.0537 5.37 × 10–2 2
0.00537 5.37 × 10–3 3
0.0000046 4.6 × 10–6 6
TO FIND THE MANTISSA OF A NUMBER:
 We find the mantissa from the log-table. The position of a decimal point in a number is immaterial
for finding the mantissa.
We shall restrict ourselves to the mantissa of a number consisting of four digits only.
Thus, log (56), log (.56), log (.0056) etc. will have the same mantissa.
The following example will give a clear picture as how to obtain mantissa.
(i) For finding the mantissa of 4385 from log-table, we proceed in the row headed by 43 and in this row,
we find the number under the column headed by 8. Now, to this number, we add the mean difference
headed by 5 but in the same row.
Thus, the mantissa for 4385 is 0. [6415 + 5] = .6420.
(ii) For finding the mantissa of 438 from log-table, we find the number in the row headed by 43 and
under the column headed by 8. It is 0.6415.
(iii) For finding the mantissa of 43 from log-table, we find the number in the row headed by 43 and under
the column 0. It is 0.6335.
(iv) For finding the mantissa of 4 from log-table, we find the number in the row headed by 40 and under
the column 0. It is 0.6021.
Thus, we have:
log 4385 = 3.6420; log 438.5 = 2.6420; log 43.85 = 1.6420;
log 4.385 = 0.6420; log 0.4385 = 1 .6420 ; log 0.04385 = 2 .6420 ;
log 0.0004385 = 4 .6420 ; log 43 = 1.6415; log 4.3 = 0.6415;
log 4 = 0.6021; log .04 = 2 .6021 .
Thus, we find the logarithm of any given number.
ANTILOGARITHM: If log m = n, then m = antilog n.
Ex. log 1000 = 3  antilog 3 = 1000.
Clearly, finding logarithms and antilogarithms are mutually reverse process.
For Finding Antilogarithm of a Number, we use the decimal part of the number and read the antilog-
table in a manner similar to that adopted for reading the log-table.
After finding the corresponding number from antilog-table, we insert the decimal point as under:
Case I: When the characteristic is n, the decimal point is inserted after (n + 1)th digit;
Case II: When the characteristic is n , the decimal point is inserted in such a way that the first
significant figure is at the nth place.

Ex.
Number Antilog Number Antilog
0.2364 1.724 1 .4356 0.2727
1.4216 26.40 2 .0318 0.01076
2.6019 399.08 3 .1459 0.001399
5.2612 182500 4 .7912 0.0006183
Ex. 3 Find the values of:
(i) antilog 0.654 (ii) antilog 1.204
(iii) antilog 1 .3612 (iv) antilog 3 .4568
Sol. (i) antilog (0.654) = 4.508.
(ii) antilog (1.204) = 16.00
(iii) antilog ( 1 .3612) = 0.2297.
(iv) antilog ( 3 .4568) = 0.002863.
 EXERCISE

1. (i) If log x  2 .0374 , find x.

(ii) If log x = 0.1597, find x.
(iii) If log x = 4.4236, find x.
2. Using logarithmic tables, evaluate the following:
(i) 69.13 × 0.34 × 0.014 (ii) 0.7625 × 0.000357
8.67  3.94
(iii) 358.6 × 0.078 × 0.5943 (iv)
1.78
3. Using logarithmic tables, evaluate the following:
4
(i)  3.142  (1.5)3 (ii) (0.09634)2
3
1
(iii) (2.709)1/5 × (1.2387)1/7 (iv)
(8.05)1 / 5
4. Evaluate:
(25.36) 2  0.4569 0.9876  (16.42) 2
(i) (ii)
847.5 (4.567)1/ 3
5. Evaluate:
(6.45) 3  (0.00034)1/ 3  (981.4)
(i) .
(9.37) 2  (8.93)1 / 4  (0.0617)
(0.0437) 2 / 3  (1.407) 2
(ii) .
(0.0015)1/ 3  (1.235)1 / 7

ANSWERS

1. (i) 0.01090 (ii) 1.444 (iii) 26530

2. (i) 0.3291 (ii) 0.0002723 (iii) 16.63 (iv) 19.19
3. (i) 14.15 (ii) 0.0008941 (iii) 1.259 (iv) 0.6589
4. (i) 0.3467 (ii) 160.4
5. (i) 1963 (ii) 2.082